Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign Joins Justice in Aging Webinar on Federal Housing Updates for Aging Advocates

By Ella Izenour, NLIHC Opportunity Starts at Home Intern 

The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign joined the “Federal Housing Updates for Aging Advocates” webinar on September 17, hosted by Justice in Aging, an OSAH campaign Roundtable member, to discuss current policy threats and opportunities affecting older adults’ access to federal housing and homeless assistance programs.   

Jennifer Kye, director of federal housing advocacy for Justice in Aging, opened the webinar by sharing the current advocacy priorities affecting older adults’ access to affordable housing. Kye called attention to potential HUD proposals including revoking the 30-Day Notice Rule and weakening of the Equal Access Rule. Current proposals in Congress, such as cuts to Housing Choice Vouchers, will result in fewer households receiving federal rental assistance and come in on a backdrop of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance. Kye stressed the critical role of advocates in urging Congress to fund federal rental assistance programs that support older adults.  

Chantelle Wilkinson, NLIHC vice president of strategic partnerships and campaigns, provided an overview of the NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home campaign. She outlined the campaign’s policy goals and emphasized the importance of safe, accessible, and affordable housing for older adults.  

Wilkinson described OSAH’s mission to expand federal housing resources and address long-standing structural and racial inequities. The campaign aims to ensure that people with the lowest incomes can afford safe, stable housing, building an essential foundation for improved health, educational outcomes, and economic mobility. She also highlighted key NLIHC publications such as The Gap and Out of Reach reports and stressed the importance of building a broad, diverse coalition of advocates.  

In addition, Wilkinson shared several OSAH resources that illustrate housing’s intersections with other critical sectors, including the campaign’s policy agenda, fact sheets, and podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, and SoundCloud.  

The webinar concluded with a Q&A, during which Wilkinson encouraged attendees to engage with the OSAH campaign by joining the OSAH Roundtable, connecting with OSAH State Partners, and subscribing to the monthly newsletter. 

Watch a recording of the webinar here.  

Learn more about the connections between aging adults and affordable housing by reading the OSAH campaign fact sheet here.