Write to Your Members of Congress
Your members of Congress need to hear your story and your input about why affordable housing matters to you. Consider writing an email or letter and sending it to your representative’s local office. Name the programs that have impacted you or list the ones you wish you had access to. Let your member of Congress know that their constituents need more, not less, funding for affordable housing. Visit www.nlihc.org to find the mailing address of your member of Congress.
Pick Up the Phone and Call
When a Congressional office receives multiple phone calls about one issue, they become more aware of the importance of the urgency in their district or state. Call your Representative and Senators and ask specifically for the legislative assistant who covers housing issues. Identify yourself as a constituent and tell the staff where you are from, and then ask for more funding for affordable housing. Be as specific as you can: tell Congress to lift low spending caps and fully invest in affordable housing resources that provide stable, decent homes for extremely low income families. Visit www.nlihc.org to find the phone number for your member of Congress.
Reach Out to Other Advocates
The local organizations that defended affordable housing during the Our Homes, Our Voices Housing Week of Action haven’t disappeared! If an event took place in your area, contact the group that organized it. Ask for ways to stay engaged to what’s happening locally. Maybe they have a newsletter you can sign up for or a teach-in you can attend. Connecting with people in your area who care about affordable housing can help you stay engaged and expand our collective efforts.
Register to Vote
Elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard. Make sure you are registered to vote so we can send Congress a powerful message in the next election. If you’re already a registered voter, help your friends and neighbors register! With more residents of federally assisted housing at the polls, we can send a clear message to politicians running for office that affordable homes matter to constituents!