By Sarita Kelkar, NLIHC Policy Intern
On July 28, NLIHC hosted a national HoUSed campaign call discussing new NLIHC resources — the annual Out of Reach report and an August Recess Toolkit. The panelists shared strategies for advocating with members of Congress.
NLIHC Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Campaigns Chantelle Wilkinson began by sharing an overview of the Strategic Partnerships & Campaigns team’s recent work before briefly spotlighting other NLIHC projects and topics of the call.
NLIHC Research Analysts Raquel Harati and Esther Colón-Bermúdez discussed NLIHC’s Out of Reach findings from the newly released 2026 report. With this year’s report framed around themes such as economic uncertainty and rising costs for renter households, Harati noted how across the country, affordable rental homes remain out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and their families (see Memo, 7/26). Colón-Bermúdez emphasized how rental housing is out of reach for workers across the income spectrum and in varying circumstances like reliance on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Harati shared two other findings of the report:
Disparities in housing wages by race, ethnicity, and gender driven by discriminatory practices and;
The need for sufficient HUD funding, especially when three out of four eligible renter households remain unable to access housing assistance.
With Out of Reach including perspectives from renters and housing providers illustrating the urgency of federal action, Colón-Bermúdez ended by sharing available resources individuals can use to support advocacy efforts.
NLIHC Senior Policy Director Kim Johnson previewed NLIHC’s August recess toolkit (expected to be released this week). Characterizing August recess as a key time to connect with federal lawmakers, Johnson shared ways to engage members of Congress while mapping which resources from the toolkit could offer support for each method. Johnson also contextualized the toolkit by speaking on some of NLIHC’s policy priorities and demonstrating how to use NLIHC’s data and resources — available on NLIHC’s state housing profiles — to communicate affordable housing and homelessness realities and needs.
Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio Advocacy Director Gina Wilt and Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services Head of Policy and Research Ryan Sears continued the conversation on advocacy. Wilt discussed the importance of building coalition through multisector events. Specific to August, Wilt recommended engaging with congressional leaders and policymakers through legislative tours and roundtables—naming how facilitating greater visibility on organizations’ programs makes a big difference. Wilt also shared COHHIO state-specific resources, with templates incorporating OOR information, factsheets discussing Ohio realities, and bi-weekly webinars helpful for touching base with staffers.
Sears gave updates on NPHS’s work with NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition and the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act” as a Community Development Financial Institution, sharing their efforts to include the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (RDRA) into the bill. Sears reiterated the importance of being in coalition with others, citing coordination efforts with partners to conduct outreach and framing the campaign to incorporate the RDRA as using a multifaceted approach.
NLIHC Manager of Membership Engagement Lindsay Duvall closed out the call by offering ways to take action—encouraging participants on the call to check out the August recess toolkit, commit to elevating the issue of housing affordability with members of Congress, and join NLIHC as a member. A recording of the call, as well as the presentation slides for Out of Reach 2026, are now available. Register here for NLIHC’s next National HoUSed campaign call on August 11 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET.
Out of Reach
- Explore NLIHC’s Out of Reach report.
August Recess Toolkit
- Access NLIHC’s tips and meeting request template to assist in planning an in-district meeting with your members of Congress.
Learn how to plan a tour or site visit with members of Congress.
Learn how to practice storytelling and connect with/leave an impact on lawmakers.
Read about NLIHC’s policy priorities.
Join the 2026 Our Homes, Our Votes monthly webinar series.
Share OHOV’s best practices report: “Turning Renters into Voters: Lessons in Engaging Low-Income Communities”
Visit this tool to see your state’s housing profile.
Take Action with NLIHC
- Contact your members of Congress.
Become an NLIHC member.
Contact your Field Team member at [email protected].
NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign calls take place on the second and last Tuesday of every month, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET. Register for the series and access NLIHC’s archive of HoUSed campaign recordings.