Elected officials work for the people they serve. For this reason, it is important for tenants to engage with candidates on the campaign trail and make their priorities known. Tenants should engage with candidates for two main reasons: 1) to make their concerns heard and hold candidates accountable to prioritize housing justice; and 2) to understand candidates’ plans so that voters can make informed decisions.
Getting candidates on the record will make it easier to hold them accountable if they are elected. For example, if a candidate promises to increase funding for rental assistance, you can mention that promise to their office when advocating for legislation that expands Housing Choice Vouchers to all households. Nonpartisan candidate engagement can also build voter knowledge and enthusiasm. If candidates are showing up at community events and talking about the issues that affect your neighbors’ lives, those neighbors are more likely to feel heard and to have a vested interest in casting their ballots. Hearing from candidates who have different visions for housing policy can make the stakes of the election more concrete and motivate people to vote.
Tenant and resident-led groups can organize nonpartisan candidate forums and town halls or invite candidates to events like community meetings and block parties. These events will create a space where residents can directly make their voices heard to candidates and will give residents the opportunity to learn where the candidates stand on key issues. As a tenant, you are the expert in your own community’s needs. By inviting the candidates to an event in your building or neighborhood, you can educate your candidates and push them to adopt policy platforms that will make a difference for your community. If you cannot plan an event yourself, consider attending candidate events that other organizations are hosting.
When inviting candidates to your community, be mindful that you must invite ALL candidates who are running for a position and make an equal effort to get all candidates to attend. You should also invite candidates far in advance of the date of the event, which makes it more likely that they will have room in their schedule.
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 by reading the letters to the editor page of the newspaper. This platform can be used to share your experiences and communicate the need for candidates to prioritize affordable homes.
To learn more about candidates’ views and make them aware of your priorities, you can circulate a nonpartisan candidate questionnaire that asks the candidates to describe their stances on key policy issues. Questionnaires must go to ALL candidates and should be publicly posted with clear instructions and information on how the responses will be used. Once candidates have completed the questionnaire, share their responses with your community so they can learn more about each candidate and make an informed choice at the ballot box.
For more information and guidance about nonpartisan candidate engagement, including a sample candidate questionnaire, visit www.ourhomes-ourvotes.org/candidate-engagement.