The Our Homes, Our Votes campaign is NLIHC’s nonpartisan initiative to boost voter turnout among low-income renters and elevate housing as an election issue. This biweekly section of Memo provides news, resources, and other updates at the intersection of housing justice and nonpartisan civic engagement. To learn more about Our Homes, Our Votes, visit www.ourhomes-ourvotes.org.
Register for Next Monday’s (6/3) Our Homes, Our Votes Webinar: Forming Partnerships in Your Community
No organization need reinvent the wheel when launching its nonpartisan election initiatives. This webinar will explore the value of community partnerships that can increase your organization’s capacity to register, educate, and mobilize voters. Selene Gomez, national outreach director at VoteRiders, will present on voter ID assistance resources to help voters access the IDs they need to have their ballots counted. Dominique Espinoza, policy and strategic partnerships manager at Coalition on Human Needs, will discuss the landscape of nonpartisan voter engagement initiatives among human needs advocates and service providers. Marcos Damian-Noyola, partnerships manager at VOT-ER, will share about Civic Health Month as an opportunity to promote civic engagement and elevate voting as a social determinant of health. The webinar will take place on Monday, June 3, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm ET. Register for the webinar series here.
Become an Our Homes, Our Votes Affiliate
Our Homes, Our Votes convenes a network of affiliates, which are nonpartisan organizations that are committed to boosting voter turnout among low-income renters and elevating housing as an election issue. Advocacy organizations, direct service providers, resident councils and tenant associations, local governments, and other related organizations are welcome to become Our Homes, Our Votes affiliates.
Benefits of participating in the affiliates network include:
- Access to a listserv where NLIHC staff and campaign partners exchange ideas and announce opportunities related to nonpartisan voter engagement.
- Invitations to biweekly affiliates office hours – an agenda-free, drop-in, optional space where affiliates can workshop their nonpartisan election plans. Office hours take place every other Friday from 1 to 3 pm ET.
- Invitation to a post-election virtual gathering to debrief the election cycle and brainstorm next steps for nonpartisan civic engagement.
- Enhanced access to Our Homes, Our Votes tools and resources, including customized TurboVote referral links to track the impact of nonpartisan voter engagement activities.
To learn more about the affiliates network and apply to join, visit: https://www.ourhomes-ourvotes.org/affiliates
Become a Civic Holidays Partner!
Civic Holidays are nonpartisan days of action that strengthen and celebrate our country’s democracy. The four Civic Holidays – National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week, Vote Early Day, and Election Hero Day – activate nonprofits, campuses, businesses, and other organizations to engage voters in their communities. Each holiday focuses on a different aspect of voter engagement: registration, education, mobilization, and celebration of voting. Nonpartisan organizations are invited to partner with the Civic Holidays. Partners will receive state-by-state FAQs and voter engagement guides, online voter tools, multilingual resources, swag, and other giveaways. Learn more and sign up to become a Civic Holidays partner here.
New Analysis Illustrates High Rent Increases in Swing States
A new analysis from USA Today finds that housing markets with the highest rent increases over the past four years are disproportionately located in swing states. Using data obtained exclusively from Rent.com, the analysis finds that six of the 10 markets with the highest rent increases between February 2020 and February 2024, and 34 of the 100 markets with the highest rent increases during this period, are located in swing states. The following states are defined as swing states for the purposes of the analysis: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Voters across the country, within and beyond swing states, are confronting unprecedented rent increases and are eager for candidates to campaign on strong housing solutions. This analysis underscores the importance of housing in the 2024 election cycle and the need for candidates of all political stripes to prioritize housing affordability.
Read the analysis from USA Today here.