Advocates and voters took affordable housing into the voting booth in 2018, passing many important ballot measures that increase funding for affordable housing, implement tenant protections, and enact other housing-related reforms. NLIHC has released a new analysis of the 2018 affordable housing ballot initiatives and the lessons they reveal about best practices: "Affordable Housing Wins: Leveraging Lessons from 2018 Housing Ballot Initiatives for Future Efforts."
With the 2020 presidential elections fast approaching and various state and local elections happening between now and then, it is important for affordable housing advocates to learn from the nonpartisan voter-engagement campaigns that supported the many 2018 ballot initiatives.
Among the recommendations and concrete state and local examples of how those practices were carried out in 2018:
- Learn the rules of the game (Chicago, IL)
- Develop a broad coalition but keep the message simple (Oregon)
- Tell the voters what the money is for (Charlotte, NC)
- Know the political climate and where there is momentum (Oakland, CA)
- Don’t start from scratch – build on existing infrastructure and previous ballot measures (Austin, TX)
The analysis also provides an inventory of all the major housing initiatives on state and local ballots in 2018 and how they fared in the voting booth.
"Affordable Housing Wins: Leveraging Lessons from 2018 Housing Ballot Initiatives for Future Efforts" is available at: https://bit.ly/2XYgP0N