Lobbying for the Homeless
and Hungry
How to Make a Difference in Your
Community!
Who is NCH?
• Founded in 1984, oldest national
organization dedicated to ending
homelessness
• We focus our work in housing
justice, economic justice, health
care justice, and civil rights. Our
approaches range from grassroots
organizing to policy advocacy.
– Grass Roots Organizing
– Policy Advocacy
•
Include currently and formerly
homeless individuals in all aspects
of our work
Lobbying
• What is Lobbying?
• How Do You Make Your Voice Heard?
• How Can You Lobby Effectively?
What is Lobbying?
• Lobbying is influencing legislation and or
administrative actions.
– Direct Lobbying  referring to a specific piece
of legislation
– Grassroots Lobbying  an effort to engage
the public in lobbying
How Do You Make Your Voice
Heard?
• Letter Writing
• Visits
• Phone Call
• E-mail
How Can You Lobby Effectively?
• Find an issue that you really believe in
• Get to know your issue
• Get to know your legislator and the legislative
process
• Make your position known early
• Be brief, be persistent and be polite
Issue areas relating to
Homelessness
• Affordable Housing
• Livable Incomes
• Health Care
• Civil Rights Protection
Affordable Housing
A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance
programs are the primary causes of homelessness. The growing gap
between the number of affordable housing units and the number of
people needing them has created a housing crisis for poor people.
• Housing Security Recommendations:
–
–
–
–
–
Funding National Housing Trust Fund
Adding Section 8 Housing Vouchers
Increased HUD, USDA, VA Housing programs
Establishment in the Treasury of Emergency Rent relief Fund
Continue to reauthorize HUD McKinney-Vento (HEARTH) programs
Livable Incomes
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are
frequently unable to pay for housing, food, child care, health care,
and education. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high
proportion of income, that must be given up. Being poor can mean
that one is an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from
homelessness.
•
Economic Justice Provisions:
–
Increase SSI and SSDI
–
Living Wage Resolution
–
Temporary Worker Fairness and Protection Act
–
Require SSA to collect data and engage in outreach and
expedite application process for homeless individuals
Healthcare
For people struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or
disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness,
beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for
care, and eventual eviction.
• Healthcare Justice Provisions:
– Universal Access to Health Care
– Strengthening of mainstream addiction and mental health
services programs
Civil Rights Protection
People should not be criminalized or face injustice as a
result of their housing status. People experiencing
homelessness are disproportionately victims of hate
crimes and violence, often resulting in death.
• Civil Rights Provisions:
– Civil Rights Protections for People Experiencing Homelessness
– Prohibit cities receiving CDBG and HOME funds from passing
ordinances that have a disparate impact on homeless people or
that punish homeless persons for carrying out life-sustaining
practices in public spaces
– A requirement that USPS shall provide no-fee PO boxes
What More Can You Do?
• Follow up any letters and calls to the Representative or
his or her aide and ask whether a decision has been
made to support the issue you contacted him/her about.
Reiterate your or your organization's support!
• Write a Letter to the Editor for your local paper.
• Contact your local homeless coalition to find out how you
can get involved (a list of local coalitions is available at
www.nationalhomeless.org/directories/index.html
Activities You Can Plan
• National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness
Week
• National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
• Organize an "Urban Plunge"
• Host Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau
• Register people to vote
• Organize a Lobby Day
• Sponsor a benefit concert
What You Can Do?
SMILE!