NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel joined 2020 presidential candidate and former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) on September 17 for an Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020 meeting at the Downtown Women’s Shelter on Skid Row, the epicenter of the Los Angeles homelessness crisis. During the conversation, Representative O’Rourke heard from previously homeless women about the challenges of homelessness and its solutions. Together, they toured the facility and saw first-hand the challenges homeless individuals face on Skid Row. This conversation was particularly relevant given the White House’s recent actions on homelessness indicating it is considering steps to further criminalize homelessness, with a focus on California.
Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020 is elevating the importance of addressing homelessness and affordable housing through bold solutions—and is tracking what all 2020 presidential candidates say on the issue. For more information on Representative O’Rourke’s and other candidate’s statements and proposals on affordable housing, visit our candidate tracker. There you can find fact sheets on each 2020 presidential candidates’ proposals as well as press coverage, videos, and other information.