Racial equity and inclusion are central to NLIHC’s mission and practice. NLIHC’s IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Systems-thinking) is an organization-wide initiative to advance racial equity and inclusion in our policy analysis and strategy, internal operations and relationships, and work with external partners. IDEAS is an expression of NLIHC’s commitment to centering equity and inclusion and celebrating diversity in our work, both internally and externally. Please consider contributing to support our work to advance racial equity and renter protections!
The Collective
NLIHC’s Collective is a group of dedicated tenant and community leaders with lived experience of housing insecurity who work to advance housing and racial justice in their communities. NLIHC collaborates with members of the Collective to inform policy priorities so that they best reflect the needs of low-income renters.
The inaugural Collective (previously known as the Tenant Leader Cohort) was launched in 2022 and was made up of people across the country who had experience with NLIHC’s federal housing policy advocacy and were established community leaders. The second Collective (2023-2024) consisted of advocates from across the country with various areas of expertise and a wide variety of lived experiences, which made the cohort a rich community for crafting creative solutions and advocacy strategies. In June, members of the second Collective completed their nine-month program, which was commemorated with a virtual graduation ceremony. In September of this year, NLIHC announced the members of the third Collective cohort. Each new cohort kicks off with a Collective Retreat, an annual event at which new members build community with each other and NLIHC staff, address racial trauma and healing, and help formulate NLIHC’s policy priorities.
NLIHC continues to prioritize ensuring that tenant leaders are a vital part of the conversations on housing policy advocacy and legislation that impacts them directly.
Racial Equity Cohorts
NLIHC’s Racial Equity Cohort is a group of eight NLIHC state and tribal partner organizations actively working to incorporate racial equity policies, tools, and practices into their organizations. The Cohort is convened by NLIHC’s IDEAS and Field teams to facilitate peer learning, build the capacity of partners to advance racial equity within their organizations and with external partners, and identify key themes, resources, and strategies to share broadly with state and tribal partners. NLIHC wrapped up its second Racial Equity Cohort in June of this year after 10 months of meetings, trainings, and workshops held with housing advocates from across the country. The second Racial Equity Cohort included the following organizations:
- California Coalition for Rural Housing
- Coalition for the Homeless
- Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
- Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc
- Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
- New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
- North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Tenant Bill of Rights
Written with direct input from tenant leaders, people with lived experience of housing instability, housing law experts, and advocates nationwide, the National Tenants Bill of Rights provides a bold, legislative framework to enshrine tenants’ rights throughout their tenancy in private as well as federally assisted properties. NLIHC urges advocates – including individuals, organizations, elected officials, and candidates for elected office – to endorse the National Tenants Bill of Rights, today!