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Leading from “The Gut”: A Tenant Testimony
By: Deanna Nagle If I had a nickel for every time advocacy groups (that I needed help from) encouraged me to “show up” or “speak up and make my voice heard” at one event or another, I’d have had enough silver coins to roll up and pay market rent for a year. No lie. So Continue reading
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“Encouraging and Remembering is Not Legislating”: Advocating to Keep LIHTC Renters Stably Housed
My name is Adelia Williams, and I am a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) tenant and citizen advocate for securing permanent, affordable housing for America’s low- and fixed-income populations. LIHTC regulations are falling short of protecting the vulnerable tenants the program is meant to serve, in that hefty rent increases are pricing tenants out of Continue reading
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What Thrive Alabama and Housing Have Done for Me
by Danny Cullum I moved into my current house in 2020. My so-called friends didn’t think I would stay because I had just stopped doing cocaine and had been homeless eight long years prior. This house I love is my shelter and has become my home away from heaven. I have surrounded myself with positive Continue reading
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“Like Trying to Find a Needle in a Haystack”: Advocating for Fair and Accessible Housing with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
R.S. Hurley is an advocate in California who is disabled with the environmental illness (EI) multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). As a Section 8 voucher holder, she has spent decades working to secure her own reasonable accommodations for accessible/medically safe housing and to support hundreds of other renters living with EI. Ms. Hurley is the author Continue reading
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Four Easy Ways to Communicate with Your Elected Officials
In a recent blog post, we heard from CJ O’Hara, a Chicago-based advocate with lived experience, about resources and other ideas for those getting started in affordable housing advocacy. In particular, CJ mentions the importance of ensuring your voice is heard by communicating directly with members of Congress. But doing so can seem a little Continue reading
On the Home Front 