Our Homes, Our Votes Nonpartisan Campaign Report Captures Lessons from Engaging Low-Income Communities in the Voter and Election Process
Oct 09, 2025
Report outlines the power renters have at the ballot box.
Washington, D.C. – During National Voter Education Week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) Our Homes, Our Votes (OHOV) nonpartisan campaign released a new report on effective strategies for engaging renters in the electoral process.
Turning Renters into Voters: Lessons in Engaging Low-Income Communities compiles key insights from six partner communities on empowering renters to vote. The report summarizes each partner’s efforts and offers practical recommendations for housing and homelessness organizations to increase voter turnout.
“Following a presidential election that shifted the democratic landscape, introducing new opportunities to engage policymakers at all levels, it is imperative that all eligible voters feel empowered and have the resources to engage in the next phase of the 2025 and 2026 election cycle,” said NLIHC President and CEO Renee M. Willis. “Our Homes, Our Votes' Turning Renters into Voters report provides the resources renters can use to not only demonstrate their individual voting power but also build communities of advocates who can help to elevate housing as an election issue.”
In 2024, OHOV launched the Pilot Communities initiative to strengthen engagement with low-income renters throughout the electoral process and to assess the impact of nonpartisan voter outreach within those pilot communities. In 2025, six NLIHC State and Tribal Partners with proven experience in nonpartisan voter engagement participated in the initiative, sharing highlights and best practices from their activities in 2024 and 2025.
Key takeaways from the Pilot Communities initiative include:
- Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH): As a small organization, MCAH had limited capacity and means to organize voter events in every housing development. As an alternative, MCAH hosted “train the trainer” sessions for resident services coordinators, shelter staff, and tenant organizers, sharing information on election law, voter registration procedure, and the voting process for people without IDs or permanent addresses with more than 600 individuals in 2024.
- Housing Network of Rhode Island (HNRI): Using targeted canvassing and calling strategies, HNRI engaged with more than 1,800 subsidized housing residents in the 2024 election cycle. This included knocking on nearly 300 doors of registered voters during the weekend before Election Day.
- Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH): SCANPH’s voter outreach efforts incorporated education on ballot measures and initiatives aimed at closing the low-income renter voter turnout gap. During their in-person events, SCANPH shared details on two housing-related ballot measures—Measure A and Proposition 5—while also engaging in virtual phone banking events to help get-out-the-vote (GOTV).
- Georgia Advancing Communities Together (Georgia ACT): Georgia ACT organized intentional events that brought together residents and community leaders. Across all events, Georgia ACT successfully registered new voters, confirmed voter registration status, provided voter ID resources, and distributed information on housing issues, while adapting each event to meet the needs of the local community.
- Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania: In addition to recruiting a diverse network of 38 state and local partner organizations to engage communities on nonpartisan voting practices, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania provided critical support to several public housing agencies (PHAs) on voter educational materials, registration access, and civic participation among residents.
- Prosperity Indiana: Prosperity Indiana was added to the Pilot Community initiative in 2025, bringing with them fresh perspectives on phone banking, building GOTV events, and ensuring voter resources reflect diverse state contexts and regional needs.
“Renters, especially low-income renters, are severely underrepresented in the political process, with research finding that in 2024, only 52.1% of eligible renters voted, compared to 70.3% of eligible homeowners,” said NLIHC’s Our Homes, Our Votes campaign Project Manager Tia Turner. “Statistics like these could be why elected officials are less likely to consider the needs and priorities of renter households. This report demonstrates that by sharing a roadmap for engaging, registering, educating, and mobilizing renters, this community can become a powerful voting bloc.”
“Building communities of low-income renters who feel empowered to vote will influence election outcomes and create meaningful change in the way our elected leaders are held accountable,” continued Willis.
Access the full report and additional resources on best practices for engaging low-income communities in the electoral process here.
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