By Ella Izenour, NLIHC Opportunity Starts at Home Intern
The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign hosted a half-day roundtable event in Washington, D.C., on December 2 titled “OSAH: Building Effective and Robust Cross-Sector Partnerships.”
Renee M. Willis, NLIHC President and CEO, opened the event by thanking members for their commitment to cross-sector housing advocacy and emphasizing the essential role of multi-sector partnerships in achieving safe, affordable housing for all. Chantelle Wilkinson, NLIHC Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Campaigns, provided an overview of OSAH campaign achievements from the past year, including congressional briefings, new podcast episodes, and the addition of 10 new roundtable members in 2025.
May Louis-Juste, NLIHC Project Manager of Strategic Partnerships, highlighted efforts to expand the visibility of housing advocacy and engage younger audiences through initiatives such as the new “The Common Ground” podcast. Julie Walker, OSAH Campaign Project Manager, gave OSAH State Partner updates, spotlighting the work of Prosperity Indiana, Virginia Housing Alliance, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, and North Carolina Housing Coalition.
David Gonzalez Rice, NLIHC Senior Vice President of Public Policy, briefed attendees on federal policy developments and the campaign’s 2026 policy priorities. Meghan Mertyris, NLIHC Disaster Recovery Policy Analyst, presented on the work of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) and current bills that the DHRC supports addressing the intersection of disaster and housing. The event concluded with time for roundtable members to discuss priority areas and opportunities for partnership in 2026.
Audio from the event was recorded and will be shared later this month in the next episode of the Opportunity Starts at Home podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, and Soundcloud.
The OSAH Opportunity Roundtable is made up of representatives from 131 multi-sector organizations and enables the campaign to raise awareness about the intersections of housing and other sectors, continually expand its multi-sector network, and reach a diverse array of new stakeholders.
Learn more about the organizational opportunities under OSAH and sign up to receive regular updates here.