Thank you to everyone who joined the second installment in our two-part Our Homes, Our Votes webinar series, Housing is Built with Ballots! The second webinar, “Housing is Built with Ballots: Organizing to Win Affordable Homes at the Ballot Box,” took place on Thursday, October 26. The webinar recording can be found here and the presentation slides can be found here.
Courtney Cooperman, housing advocacy organizer at NLIHC, highlighted NLIHC’s recent ballot measures reports, Voters Choose Housing: A Summary of Housing and Homelessness Ballot Measures in the November 2022 Elections and Housing on the Ballot: How to Organize a Successful Ballot Measure Campaign for Affordable Homes.
She also previewed upcoming ballot measures being tracked by NLIHC for the November 2023 elections. In celebration of Vote Early Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to raising awareness of early voting opportunities, Courtney encouraged attendees to explore early voting options in their communities at VoteEarlyDay.org and to confirm that they are registered to vote.
Angelina Cornejo, campaign strategy coordinator at East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), discussed the campaign for a 2024 regional affordable housing bond measure, which would provide $10-$20 billion for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA).
Angelina outlined the campaign’s goals and timeline, key events in the history of BAHFA, and the Bay Area Housing for All coalition that is leading the campaign for the bond measure. To get involved with the campaign, visit www.bayareahousingforall.org or contact Angelina at [email protected].
Emily Martiniuk, housing advocate with Residents United Network-Los Angeles, discussed the campaign for Measure ULA, a high-value real estate transfer tax that will fund housing and homelessness prevention initiatives. Emily discussed the importance of Measure ULA as a sustainable funding source to meet the needs of Los Angeles community members, the involvement of grassroots organizations and tenant leaders in the campaign, the broad coalition of supporters, and the campaign’s success in overcoming opposition. To learn more, contact Emily at [email protected].
Madeleine Hammerlund, housing campaign organizer with Our Future Starts at Home, provided an update on Minnesota’s statewide campaign for a constitutional amendment for housing. She described the potential uses of amendment funds and the positive impact they would have, the guidance and leadership of people with lived experience in the campaign, and the importance of bringing together a multisector and geographically diverse coalition. To learn more, visit www.ourhomesmn.org or contact Madeleine at [email protected].
Zach Martinez, legal counsel and policy advisor at Gary Community Ventures, described the Make Colorado Affordable campaign, which passed a statewide ballot measure in the 2022 midterm elections. The ballot measure, Proposition 123, reallocates existing tax revenues to provide $300 million in permanent annual funding to address the full spectrum of housing needs, from homelessness to homeownership. Zach offered tips for effective messaging around affordability issues, described unique approaches to building equity for renters, and shared other insights from the campaign’s victory. To learn more, contact Zach at [email protected].
If your community is working on a ballot measure in the 2023 or 2024 elections, please contact Courtney Cooperman, housing advocacy organizer, at [email protected].
For more information on housing-related ballot measures and the Our Homes, Our Votes campaign, visit www.ourhomes-ourvotes.org.