Recap: NLIHC’s Our Homes, Our Votes National Webinar: “Combating Misinformation: Equipping Housing Advocates as Trusted Messengers in 2026”
Sep 18, 2026
NLIHC's Our Homes, Our Votes nonpartisan campaign hosted its September 14 webinar, “Combating Misinformation: Equipping Housing Advocates as Trusted Messengers in 2026,” which focused on how housing leaders and community organizations can support renters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The webinar spotlighted the work of leaders in the democracy and voting space, with conversations centered around how housing advocates can serve as trusted messengers amidst false or misleading election information. Panelists grounded their discussion in identifying the best practices for being a trusted messenger, sharing resources to support successful nonpartisan voter engagement, and identifying forms of falsehoods that target voters and undermine democracy.
NLIHC Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Campaigns Chantelle Wilkinson kicked off the conversation by asking organizations to join NLIHC in a letter urging members of Congress to prioritize affordable housing for the 120th Congress. Wilkinson also uplifted the Our Homes, Our Votes' TurboVote tool for attendees to check their voter registration status and find information on ballot measures and polling locations.
Jenny Liu, Senior Manager of Misinformation Policy at Advancing Justice – AAJC, began by discussing the informational landscape ahead of the midterm elections, including how misinformation and disinformation impacts renters. Liu outlined how the consolidation of news media, the spread of false AI generated content, and different election policies across states amplify misinformation. She stressed that digital divides exist among low-income renters, which can serve as a barrier to finding accurate election information. Frequent address changes can make registering or updating voting status for renters difficult. Liu also emphasized the shared challenges amongst renters and immigrant communities, with the housing affordability crisis being scapegoated onto immigrants. The connection was further underscored by the common narratives emerging ahead of the election, including disinformation claims about federal immigration enforcement at polling locations and non-citizens voting. She concluded by recommending potential solutions for housing advocates to better engage with the informational landscape more thoughtfully, like encouraging healthy skepticism and spreading accessible, accurate, and clear election information.
Chyann Sapp, Campaign Director of National Voter Registration Day at Nonprofit VOTE, continued the conversation on misinformation by offering guidance on how to be a trusted messenger. She defined misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, and explained how they undermine trust in democracy and civic power among voters of color. Sapp stressed that housing advocates can support voter engagement in their communities by providing clear, compassionate, and culturally competent messaging on election information. As trusted messengers, she emphasized the need for advocates to be intentional about sharing information, and to rely on official election sources. With National Voter Registration Day on September 15th, Sapp discussed how the holiday is an opportunity for all eligible voters to register or update their voting information. She highlighted how trusted messengers are needed to combat confusion many Americans have regarding their voting status. Moreover, Nonprofit VOTE has state-specific registration guides and communication resources to help advocates best connect with their communities.
Bianca Rosales, Director of Partnerships at the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, concluded the webinar by spotlighting the upcoming National Voter Education Week in October, including ways for organizations to get involved to support nonpartisan voter education. National Voter Education Week runs from October 5-9 and is an opportunity to address barriers in civic engagement through education. To support voter education, the NVEW Toolkit offers guidance on social media communications, nonpartisan guidelines, and activation plans.
The panelists emphasized the best practices for housing advocates to be trusted messengers, including by being intentional with sharing information, relying on official sources, and leveraging toolkits and resources to engage community members. Identifying the ways elections are undermined through misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation was also critical to understanding how civic participation for renters can be subverted.
Finally, audience members asked questions on specific guidance for voting rights of their community members. The panelists urged participants to utilize official election sources, as guidelines vary across different localities. Participants were also encouraged to acknowledge when they didn’t know an answer to a voter’s question to avoid spreading misinformation.
Presentation Slides
Find presentation slides.
Stay Connected with OHOV
Subscribe to the Our Homes, Our Votes Monthly Newsletter to receive the latest updates on voting rights, civic engagement resources, upcoming webinars, and opportunities to take action at the intersection of housing justice and democracy.
Follow OHOV on social media.
The recording of the webinar can be found on NLIHC's YouTube channel.
Additional resources shared during the webinar: