Resources to Help Make Your Voice Heard: Vote for Housing Justice and Voting Rights This Election Day!

By Tia Turner, NLIHC Project Manager, Our Homes, Our Votes \

On this Election Day, NLIHC’s Our Homes, Our Votes (OHOV) nonpartisan campaign continues to distribute civic engagement resources to help voters make informed decisions. OHOV’s mission is to close the voter turnout gap between low-income renters and high-income homeowners and to elevate housing as a key election issue. To support this effort, OHOV recently co-hosted a webinar with NLIHC’s Training Institute for Tenants & Residents (TITR) titled “Civic Engagement 101: The Power of Advocacy and Voting Rights.” The conversation focused on how tenants and housing advocates can use civic engagement to drive lasting change and build political power for housing justice. 
 
The webinar was moderated by NLIHC Tenant Leader Fellow Dee Ross and NLIHC Project Manager for Our Homes, Our Votes Tia Turner, who emphasized the power of civic participation in shaping equitable housing policy and introduced a panel of national leaders advancing voter engagement efforts across the country. Ajay Saini, senior staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, provided an overview of Louisiana v. Callais, a landmark redistricting case before the U.S. Supreme Court that will determine whether Louisiana’s congressional map complies with the “Voting Rights Act” and the Equal Protection Clause. The decision could have far-reaching implications for fair representation and the voting power of communities of color nationwide. 
 
Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown, president and CEO of Georgia ACT, shared how her organization partnered with housing providers and VoteRiders to help renters obtain IDs, hosted candidate forums, canvassed, collaborated with HBCUs, registered eligible inmates to vote, and provided transportation to polling places, creating a holistic, community-based model for voter empowerment. Katie West, director of strategic initiatives at the Housing Network of Rhode Island, described how her team worked with affordable housing providers and outreach staff to engage low-income renters and unhoused individuals through canvassing, bilingual voter education, and social media outreach tied to a local housing bond ballot measure. 
 
The session concluded with an overview of OHOV resources, including the recent report Turning Renters into Voters: Lessons in Engaging Low-Income Communities, which highlights practical strategies for increasing voter participation among renters and uplifting housing as a core election issue. 
 
Voter turnout disparities between low-income renters and high-income homeowners remain one of the biggest obstacles to achieving equitable housing policy. In the 2022 midterm elections, 58% of homeowners voted, compared to just 37% of renters. Among people earning more than $100,000, 67% voted, compared with just 33% of people with incomes below $20,000. Because elected officials often respond to the constituents who vote, these disparities can limit the political will needed to invest in deeply affordable homes and renter protections. 

As communities across the country head to the polls, NLIHC and OHOV urge advocates, residents, and partners to use the tools available at ourhomes.turbovote.org to make a voting plan, find their polling locations, and ensure every renter’s voice is heard this Election Day. 

To make your voting plan and learn what’s on your ballot, visit ourhomes.turbovote.org. 
 
The webinar recording is available here.   

The presentation slides are available here.   

If you have not already voted early or by mail, visit Vote411.org to make your plan to vote tomorrow. Once you’ve made your voting plan, encourage three friends or family members to do so, too!

Here are some additional resources to make voting more accessible, to ensure your vote is counted, and to celebrate our democracy: 

• The nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition manages Election Protection Hotlines in multiple languages. If you have questions about voting or if your right to vote is being challenged, call 866-OUR-VOTE (English), 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish), 844-YALLA-US (Arabic), or 1-888-API-VOTE (English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali/Bangla). Visit 866ourvote.org for more information. 

• Check out the social media toolkit for sample language and social media posts to spread the word about voter protection. 

• If you need a ride to the polls, there may be a nonpartisan civic organization in your community that is able to provide one. Rideshare2Vote AWARE, an Our Homes, Our Votes affiliate, is a nonpartisan organization that provides barrier-free rides to the polls in 13 states and counting. Visit its website at rideshare2voteaware.org or call 888-858-3421 to request a ride. 

• If you already have transportation to the polls, consider volunteering with Rideshare2Vote AWARE and supporting other voters in your community! Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities. 

For more information about NLIHC’s nonpartisan Our Homes, Our Votes campaign, visit ourhomes-ourvotes.org or email [email protected].