Elections provide an important opportunity to raise housing as a key issue that voters care about. There are two main reasons why tenants and renters should engage with candidates: to make their concerns heard, and to learn how candidates plan to address affordable housing issues, so tenants can make informed decisions at the voting booth. Tenants and renters can effectively engage and educate candidates through community events, letters to the editor, factsheets, and candidate questionnaires.
Events
Inviting candidates to interact with you and your neighbors through events at your building or in your community creates a space for resident voices to be heard. These events can range from neighborhood block parties or coffee with the candidates to candidate forums or town hall meetings. Regardless of the type of event, be sure to (1) choose an accessible location; (2) invite all candidates and make an equal effort to get all candidates to attend; (3) offer enough time for the candidates to discuss their visions and campaigns; and (4) conduct outreach ahead of time to ensure a good turnout.
When hosting a forum or town hall meeting, you can further ensure your event is a success by (1) choosing a skilled moderator; (2) setting time limits for responses to questions and giving all candidates a chance to respond; (3) screening audience questions ahead of time, if possible, to get diverse views; (4) setting participation rules for the audience at the start of the event; and (5) offering voter registration forms to attendees.
If you cannot host a meeting yourself, consider attending candidate forums and town hall meetings in your community. Forums tend to be moderator-led discussions, while town halls allow for larger audience participation. Be sure to submit a question in advance, and share your question on social media before the event using the #OurHomesOurVotes hashtag. Try to sit near the microphone, and ask direct questions while including facts. Record the question and answer, and share the exchange on social media using the #OurHomesOurVotes hashtag.
Written Materials
Another powerful way to engage candidates is through written materials such as letters to the editor, factsheets, and questionnaires. Candidates often learn what issues are important to voters in the community by reading the Letters to the Editor page of the newspaper. This platform can be used to share your experience with affordable housing issues and communicate the urgent need to prioritize affordable housing. Sharing factsheets about affordable housing issues in your community is another way to educate candidates.
Finally, asking candidates to fill out a questionnaire is a useful way to learn more about candidates’ views and to make them aware of the issues that renters and tenants are facing and want to see addressed. Candidate questionnaires should go to all candidates and be publicly posted. Provide clear instructions for the word limit, deadline, and how to submit, and share how answers will be used. Keep the survey brief, and use open-ended questions to solicit the candidates’ opinions on a range of issues.