Archives

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership Urging Leaders to Reject Budget Cuts

On April 21, the campaign sent a letter to Congress urging them to reject any proposal to cut domestic spending, including investments in affordable housing and homelessness, or cut housing benefits by imposing artificial time limits, work requirements, or rent increases. It is unacceptable to balance the federal budget by slashing programs that help the […]

“History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes” The Coming Threat of Dramatic Budget Cuts and the Impact on Affordable Housing

As the 118th Congress gets underway, the federal debt ceiling has taken center stage. In early January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced that the United States would soon breach its debt limit and only ‘extraordinary measures’ by the Treasury Department were preventing a government default. She also emphasized that those measures were temporary, with a […]

Campaign Outlines Priorities for 118th Congress

The campaign submitted a memorandum to members of the 118th Congress urging policymakers to address one of the most critical issues facing people today: the lack of decent, stable, affordable rental housing. The memorandum outlines the housing crisis facing those with the lowest incomes while also sharing research on the multi-sector impacts of the lack of […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On June 13, the campaign sent a letter to Congress urging robust housing investments in any future reconciliation legislation for housing vouchers, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF. Specifically, the campaign recommends expanding rental assistance by $25 billion to serve over 300,000 households; investing $65 billion to repair the nation’s public housing infrastructure […]

Campaign Partners Sign Letter to Congress Urging a Major Expansion to Rental Assistance In Final FY23 Spending Bill

On April 22, the campaign sent a letter to appropriators urging to include in their FY23 spending bills President Biden’s budget request to expand Housing Choice Vouchers to an additional 200,000 households. Rental assistance is a critical tool for helping people with the lowest incomes afford decent, stable homes, and avoid homelessness. But due to chronic under-funding […]

Lofty Rhetoric, Prejudiced Policy: The Story of How the Federal Government Promised — and Undermined — Fair Housing

The federal government has long recognized the importance of housing to the lives of all Americans. Unfortunately, this recognition has been consistently accompanied by outright complicity in the establishment and perpetuation of residential segregation and the resulting inequities. For over a century, the federal government has carried out, reinforced, or intentionally ignored discriminatory practices and […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On January 27, the campaign sent a letter to Congress urging robust investments in the Build Back Better Act for housing vouchers, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund. Specifically, the campaign recommends expanding rental assistance by $25 billion to serve over 300,000 households; investing $65 billion to repair the nation’s public housing infrastructure for […]

Still Want to Build Back Better? Don’t Remove Housing.

In mid-December 2021, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) publicly announced that he would not support the House-approved Build Back Better framework in its current form. In doing so, he suggested that his Democratic colleagues in Congress and the White House were not taking his concerns at face value. Manchin has largely avoided publicly listing his specific […]

Expert Interview: Dr. Claudia Solari

Claudia D. Solari is a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where she studies housing instability. Solari specializes in social inequality and demography, with a focus on homelessness, low-income housing, mixed-income housing, neighborhood inequality and segregation, and housing crowding. Recently, Dr. Solari and her colleagues have […]

Veterans Advocates are Housing Advocates: Issue Brief

Among potential policy priorities, programs for veterans enjoy high levels of public support. While this mandate has often gone unfulfilled in the past, a recent series of federal efforts have substantially increased investments in programs addressing veteran homelessness. These programs, spanning the last decade, have resulted in notable successes along with some shortcomings. As a […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On October 6, the campaign sent an updated letter to Congress urging robust investments in the Build Back Better Act for housing vouchers, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund. Specifically, the campaign recommends expanding rental assistance by $90 billion to serve an additional one million households; investing $80 billion to repair the nation’s […]

2021 Public Opinion Poll on Housing Instability

The campaign commissioned a national public opinion poll through The Tarrance Group to assess the public’s opinions and perspectives on issues related to housing affordability and potential policy responses. The poll surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide between June 28 and July 1, 2021. To read the press release, click here.  Fact Sheet To download the fact […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On August 31, the campaign sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to 1) expand rental assistance by $180 billion, 2) invest $70 billion to repair the nation’s public housing infrastructure, and 3) invest $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund. The letter was signed by 43 leading organizations from an array of sectors, […]

The Connection Between Housing and Health

Researchers weigh in on the relationships between housing and well-being–and how policies recently introduced in Congress can make a big difference. When thinking about the multi-dimensional impact of housing on peoples’ lives, several examples may come easily to mind. Where you live affects what jobs are available to you and the length of your commute. […]

Interview: The Qualitative Research Behind Opportunity Vouchers with Dr. Stefanie DeLuca

The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Van Hollen (D-MD) and Young (R-IN) that would create new rental vouchers for low-income pregnant people and families with children under age 6 who meet certain criteria (a recent history of homelessness or housing instability, living in an area of concentrated […]

Eviction Crisis Act: What It Is and Why It Matters

On June 23, 2021, a bipartisan group of senators–Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH),  Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Todd Young (R-IN)–reintroduced the Eviction Crisis Act, a critical piece of legislation aimed at addressing the nation’s eviction crisis. The legislation contains several promising provisions including the creation of an Emergency Assistance Fund — funded at $3 […]

Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act: What It Is and Why It Matters

Senators Van Hollen and Young have reintroduced a bipartisan bill that expands rental assistance to 500,000 additional families with young children. The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act was originally introduced in December 2019 to build upon the successful funding of the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act during Fiscal Year 2019. The bill’s reintroduction […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On June 14, the campaign sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to 1) expand rental assistance to every eligible household, 2) invest $70 billion to preserve public housing. and 3) provide $40 billion to build new homes through the national Housing Trust Fund. The letter was signed by 43 leading organizations from an array of […]

Gender Equity & Housing

Gender Equity advocates ARE housing advocates. Fair access to safe, accessible, and affordable housing in integrated neighborhoods is vital to the wellbeing of women and girls. Housing impacts health, education, food security, employment, and access to public programs that help families with low incomes meet their basic needs. Women head 75 percent of households served […]

Zero to Three Releases Brief on the Impact of the Eviction Moratorium on Babies

On March 22, Zero to Three released a brief on the impact of the eviction moratorium on babies. The brief explores the greater risk of eviction faced by families with children, developmental impacts of housing instability and homelessness, which people are covered by the moratorium, and what needs to be done to keep babies housed. […]

Seniors & Housing

“Older adult renters are more likely to spend a large share of their income on rent than the population as a whole, and these rental cost burdens place them at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness. Due to discrimination and higher rates of poverty, Black and Latinx older renters are more likely than white […]

Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership

On January 26, the campaign sent a letter to Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy urging them to 1) provide $30 billion in emergency rental and utility assistance; 2) provide $28 billion in new funding for Housing Choice Vouchers; 3) provide $6 billion in new funding for Emergency Solutions Grants; […]

Campaign Sends Letter to President-Elect Biden

On January 15, the campaign sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden, urging him to take immediate action to prevent a catastrophic wave of evictions by issuing an Executive Order extending, improving, and enforcing, until the end of the pandemic, the federal eviction moratorium.  The letter was signed by 63 leading organizations from an array […]

Campaign Sends Letter to CDC Director

On December 16, the campaign sent a letter to Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urging him to take immediate action to prevent a catastrophic wave of evictions this winter by extending, improving, and enforcing the federal eviction moratorium.  The letter was signed by 53 leading organizations from […]

November 2020: Memo to Biden Transition Team; Racial Equity Fact Sheet; and More

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Outlines Priorities for Biden Transition Team On November 12, the campaign sent a memo to President-elect Biden and his transition team, urging the new administration to address affordable housing challenges for people with the greatest needs within […]

Campaign Outlines Priorities for Biden Transition Team

On November 12, 2020, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign sent a memo to President-elect Biden and his transition team, urging the new administration to address affordable housing challenges for people with the greatest needs within its first 100 days in office. Throughout the presidential campaign, President-elect Biden focused on the importance of affordable housing […]

Racial Inequities in Housing

Decades of structural racism have created tremendous racial disparities in housing, and that legacy continues to shape the present landscape.  Racial disparities in housing manifest in several ways: Housing Affordability We know that people of color are more likely than white households to be extremely low-income renters and that people of color disproportionately struggle to […]

September 2020: Expanding State Campaigns, Restarting Congressional Negotiations, and More

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Launches Grant Opportunity for New State Affiliates This week, the campaign launched a grant opportunity for state-level organizations interested in expanding multi-sector partnerships and influencing federal housing policy.  Not only is it critical for federal elected officials […]

National Federal Eviction Moratorium Takes Effect Today!

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   National Federal Eviction Moratorium Takes Effect Today!  A federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) takes effect today, September 4, extending vital protections to tens of millions of renters at risk of eviction for […]

August 2020: COVID-19 Advocacy; New Podcast; Education and Housing; and More!

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Urges Congress to Enact Housing Resources & Protections in Next COVID-19 Relief Package Despite the growing threat of mass evictions, displacement and homelessness, Congress adjourned for August recess, leaving millions of renters and people experiencing homelessness without […]

Leading Healthcare Organizations Urge Congress to Enact Housing Resources & Protections in Next COVID-19 Relief Package

On August 6, 2020, leading organizations from the health sector sent a letter to Congress urging vital housing resources and protections in the next COVID-19 relief package.  Specifically, the letter calls for robust emergency rental assistance, a national eviction moratorium, and expanded funding for homeless assistance.  “Without action from Congress,” the letter reads, “we are […]

July 2020 Newsletter: Time Is Running Out. Engage Congress Now!

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Time is Running Out! Urge Elected Officials to Include Vital Housing Resources & Protections in Next Relief Package  There is little time left to negotiate and enact the next COVID-19 relief package.  Now is the time to urge […]

Join Us for Virtual Lobby Day – July 21

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Participate in Virtual Lobby Day! Tell Congress to Include Vital Housing Resources in Next COVID-19 Relief Package We are hosting a Virtual Lobby Day on July 21, 2020 to urge Congress to include the campaign’s top housing priorities […]

CAMPAIGN URGES SENATE TO ACT ON COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE

On June 1, 2020, members of the campaign’s Steering Committee and Roundtable sent an updated letter to congressional leadership urging the Senate to immediately consider vital housing provisions contained within the HEROES Act and move with urgency towards passage of a final COVID-19 relief bill. Read the letter below: To download, click here.

NEW POLLING: Americans Highly Concerned About Housing Instability and Want Major Action

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   New Opinion Poll Shows the Public is Highly Concerned About Housing Instability During COVID-19 & Expects Major Action  WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the campaign released the results of a major national public opinion poll that it recently commissioned […]

2020 Public Opinion Poll on Housing Instability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The campaign commissioned a national public opinion poll through Hart Research Associates to assess the public’s opinions and perspectives on issues related to housing instability during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The poll surveyed 1,212 adults nationwide between May 15-20, 2020. To read the press release, click here.  Below you will find a fact sheet; the survey […]

Campaign’s Priorities Included in “HEROES Act”; More Work To Do!

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES “HEROES Act” Includes Campaign’s Priorities; Help Us Keep the Momentum Going!  Yesterday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled the Democratic proposal for the next coronavirus relief package, called the “HEROES Act.”  Thanks to your advocacy, the “HEROES Act” […]

Campaign Urges $100 Billion in Emergency Rental Assistance in Next COVID-19 Relief Package

On May 6, 2020, members of the campaign’s Steering Committee and Roundtable sent a letter to Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy urging Congress to include the “Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act” in the next coronavirus relief package.  The bill, proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), […]

Campaign Urges Critical Housing Investments in “Phase 4” COVID-19 Relief Package

On April 13, 2020, members of the campaign’s Steering Committee and Roundtable sent a letter to congressional leadership urging critical housing/homelessness resources in the potential forthcoming “Phase 4” coronavirus relief package.  Signatories include leading national organizations from a range of sectors, such as education, healthcare, civil rights, faith, criminal justice, food security, municipal governance, child […]

Campaign Expresses Support for “Pathway to Stable and Affordable Housing for All Act”

On March 17, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent a letter to the Senate and House sponsors of the “Pathway to Stable and Affordable Housing for All Act,” (S.2946/H.R.5813), which would effectively end homelessness through full funding for rental assistance, robust investments in the national Housing Trust Fund, and expanded funding for homelessness programs.  The […]

Campaign Urges Congress to Include Emergency Assistance Fund in Coronavirus Response

On March 12, the campaign sent a letter to Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy urging them to include emergency assistance funding to help prevent housing instability and homelessness as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.  This letter was sent to congressional leadership as they are considering a legislative […]

LGBTQ Equity and Housing Fact Sheet

Research is increasingly clear that stable, affordable housing is a critical driver of positive outcomes in many areas of life, but such housing is much less assured for the LGBTQ community.  Despite well-documented and consistent reports of discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing rentals and purchases, in the majority of states there are no explicit […]

Housing is Health in 2020, The Year of the Nurse

By Kristine Gonnella, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium The World Health Organization declared 2020 as “The Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale’s legacy exemplifies the nursing profession’s embodiment of compassion and commitment to […]

January 2020 Newsletter: Briefing on Capitol Hill; Press Club Event; and More!

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   U.S. Senators, Experts, and Advocates Convene on Capitol Hill to Discuss Bipartisan Solutions to the Housing Crisis The campaign hosted a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill on January 14 to discuss two major bipartisan housing bills recently introduced in […]

Campaign Hosts Event at National Press Club

On January 16, 2020, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign hosted an event at the National Press Club in Washington DC entitled “Broadening the Movement: Housing as a National Priority in 2020.” Speakers included: Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition Irma Esparza Diggs, Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy, National […]

Campaign Statement for the Record: House Financial Services Committee Hearing

On January 14, 2020, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing entitled: “On the Brink of Homelessness: How the Affordable Housing Crisis and the Gentrification of America Is Leaving Families Vulnerable.”  The campaign submitted a statement for the record, which you can read below. To download, click here.

Big Wins at the End of 2019! We’re Ready for 2020…

    Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Dear Friends,   2019 was a breakthrough year for the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, and none of it would have been possible without your ongoing support and advocacy.  We are heading into 2020 with tremendous momentum toward […]

Proposed Emergency Assistance Fund a Promising Approach to Reducing Evictions

By: Ife Floyd, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities This piece was originally posted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  To view the original article click here. A job loss, illness, or car breakdown shouldn’t threaten a family’s housing, but that’s the reality for many Americans with low incomes […]

Campaign Urges Housing Question During The Fifth Presidential Debate

In preparation for the fifth Democratic presidential debate hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post in Atlanta, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent letters to the four moderators (Andrea Mitchell, Rachel Maddow, Kristen Welker, and Ashley Parker) urging them to ask the presidential candidates how they intend to address the growing housing affordability crisis. To […]

Campaign Urges Housing Question During The Fourth Presidential Debate

In preparation for the fourth Democratic presidential debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times in Westerville, Ohio, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent letters to the three moderators (Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Marc Lacey) urging them to ask the presidential candidates how they intend to address the growing housing affordability crisis. To […]

Housing is Safety

By: National Network To End Domestic Violence  Housing is safety for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Access to housing allows victims to break free from abusers and escape homelessness. This is life-changing – and lifesaving – for everyone in the family: I noticed a little boy in shelter wasn’t acting himself. I asked him […]

September 2019 Newsletter: Congressional Briefing, New Blogs, and Health/Housing Research

      Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Partners in Healthcare, Child Welfare, and Local Government Speak at Opportunity Starts at Home Congressional Briefing The campaign hosted a congressional briefing on September 18 featuring three of its Steering Committee members: Children’s HealthWatch, Children’s Defense […]

Campaign Urges Housing Question During The Third Presidential Debate

In preparation for the third Democratic presidential debate hosted by ABC and Univision in Houston, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent letters to the four moderators (George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, Linsey Davis, and Jorge Ramos) urging them to ask the presidential candidates how they intend to address the growing housing affordability crisis.  

Why Affordable Housing Matters for Environmental Protection

By: Khalil Shahyd – Senior Policy Advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council Having safe, healthy, and affordable housing options is integral to ensuring low-income families have access to sustainable livelihoods, and quality education, and health care. Now, we are beginning to realize the critical role of affordable housing in reducing the negative impacts of climate change while […]

Steering Committee Applauds Budget Deal and Urges Congress to Prioritize Housing Assistance

Today, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent a letter urging Congress to prioritize housing assistance for the nation’s most vulnerable people – and the Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs, in particular – for additional resources when it negotiates final appropriations legislation for FY20. Please read the letter below: To […]

July 2019 Newsletter: New State Partners, Fact Sheets, and More!

      Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Welcomes Housing Action Illinois and Prosperity Indiana as New State Partners!  The campaign is excited to announce two new state partners: Housing Action Illinois and Prosperity Indiana.  Both organizations were recently selected through the campaign’s “Endorsement Application,” […]

Campaign Urges Housing Question During Presidential Debate

In preparation for the second Democratic presidential debate hosted by CNN in Detroit, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent letters to the three moderators (Don Lemon, Dana Bash, and Jake Tapper) urging them to ask the presidential candidates how they intend to address the growing housing affordability crisis.

Environment & Housing Fact Sheet

To Solve the Climate Crisis, We Must Solve the Housing Crisis “The relationship between housing and transportation emissions is not complicated…By making housing shockingly expensive near jobs and transit, cities force low-income and working-class people to live far away from where they work…People who are priced out move further away, resulting in sprawl that covers […]

May 2019 Newsletter: Housing as Infrastructure, New Steering Committee Member, and More!

      Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership Urging Housing Investments Via Infrastructure Package On May 16, the campaign’s multi-sector Steering Committee sent a letter to Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy, urging […]

April Newsletter

      Take Action Today View this email in your browser. NEW VOICES FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES   Campaign Unveils National Polling Results; Finds Vast Majority Believes Housing Affordability Should Be “Top National Priority”  During a plenary session on March 28 at the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual Housing Policy Forum, the Opportunity Starts […]

2019 Public Opinion Polling on Housing Affordability

On March 28, 2019, the campaign released the results of a national public opinion poll that it commissioned through Hart Research Associates.  The poll is the first in several years to extensively assess the extent to which the public considers housing affordability to be a problem in their communities, whether they have had to make […]

Campaign State Partner in Idaho Publishes Chartbook To Raise Awareness About the State’s Housing Affordability Challenges

The campaign’s state partner in Idaho, the Idaho Asset Building Network (IABN), recently released its “Housing Affordability Chartbook,” an unprecedented report which explores the housing affordability crisis in the state and contains substantial research on the multi-sector spillover impacts.  The chartbook is designed to broaden the housing affordability movement in Idaho by informing multi-sector partners, […]

The Campaign Hosts Congressional Briefing to Unveil “Within Reach” Policy Agenda

The campaign hosted a congressional briefing on January 24 with over 110 Capitol Hill staffers and advocates to unveil the release of its national policy agenda, “Within Reach.”  “Within Reach” identifies short- and long-term policy strategies essential for Congress to act on to address the affordable housing crisis in America. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel […]

December Newsletter

16 Cosponsors in Senate for Affordable Housing Task Force Legislation The “Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act” (S.3231) now has 16 bipartisan cosponsors, indicating significant momentum in the Senate to create an affordable housing task force to deeply study the nation’s crisis and to articulate robust solutions, as called for […]

November Newsletter

Listen to the Latest Podcast Episodes Available Now on iTunes Episode 7 features Andrew Sperling, Director of Legislative and Policy Advocacy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Mr. Sperling discusses NAMI’s commitment to housing affordability issues, why NAMI joined the campaign’s Steering Committee, the […]

Food Banks, Hunger, and Affordable Housing: The Oregon Example

Representatives from the Oregon Housing Alliance and Oregon Food Bank gathered in Portland on October 22 to discuss their model of multi-sector collaboration. The Oregon Housing Alliance, which consists of more than 80 multi-sector organizations focused on expanding access to safe, decent, affordable homes. Among the Alliance’s most active members is the Oregon Food Bank, […]

Utah Housing Coalition Hosts First Multi-Sector Congressional Panel

The Utah Housing Coalition (UHC) hosted its first congressional panel on affordable housing under the banner of the Opportunity Starts at Home multi-sector affordable housing campaign. (UHC is one of the seven state grantees of the national campaign.) The panel focused on the deep intersections between housing, hunger, education, and healthcare in urban and rural […]

Task Force on The Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act

By: Evan Carmen, Assistant Director for Aging Policy, B’nai B’rith International Since I started my job at B’nai B’rith International, I have written several blogs being critical of the Trump Administration and Congress’ proposals to cut funding from affordable housing. Over the past twenty months, there have not been many opportunities to applaud our elected representatives […]

October Newsletter

Take Action! Send a Letter to Congress to Support a Bipartisan Task Force On July 18, 2018, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Angus King (I-ME), along with Senators Dean Heller (R-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced S.3231, Task Force […]

Campaign Hosts Inaugural Roundtable Meeting

On Tuesday, September 18, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign hosted its first Roundtable meeting. Representatives from 70 multi-sector organizations, including housing, education, healthcare, civil rights, anti-poverty, seniors, faith-based, anti-hunger, veterans, LGBTQ, and more have joined this new initiative designed to foster cross-sector engagement. “America’s affordable housing crisis demands broad, multi-sector attention,” said Mike Koprowski, […]

Opportunity Starts at Home: State Campaigns in the Spotlight!

Coalition Building in California Housing California has been building the capacity of regional partners to educate and engage residents of affordable housing developments in policy advocacy through its Residents United Network (RUN). RUN is a collaboration between Housing California and the Center for Community Change’s Housing Trust Fund Project. This year’s multi-sector partnership with Opportunity Starts at […]

Derrick Johnson Discusses Opportunity Starts at Home

Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), explains the importance of housing to the civil rights community, why racial inequities cannot be tackled without addressing housing, and why housing is a key priority for the NAACP.

July Newsletter

The US Conference of Mayors Endorses The Campaign “Communities across the country are challenged by ongoing federal disinvestment in affordable housing. The research is clear that housing is inextricably linked to nearly every measure of having a quality life.”  –US Conference of Mayors At its 86th annual meeting, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) passed a […]

Bob Greenstein Discusses Opportunity Starts at Home

Bob Greenstein, founder and president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, discusses the affordable housing crisis, why it demands a multi-sector response, why it demands federal action, and how we build the political will to implement robust solutions.

Opportunity Starts at Home: State Campaigns in the Spotlight!

To continue to broaden our multi-sector effort, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign selected seven state partners to receive capacity-building grants to broaden and diversify each state’s housing coalition to engage other sectors. This effort will ensure that each state has active coalition members from the healthcare, education, civil rights, anti-poverty, and other sectors, in […]

Opportunity Starts at Home campaign introduces the “Opportunity Roundtable”

The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign held a multi-sector event on May 10 in Washington D.C. to officially introduce its “Opportunity Roundtable.” More than eighty individuals attended the event, including representatives from organizations representing education, healthcare, civil rights, anti-poverty, faith-based, veterans, homelessness, and other sectors. The event opened with welcoming remarks from NLIHC President and CEO Diane […]

Opportunity Roundtable

What is the Opportunity Roundtable? The Opportunity Roundtable is a new initiative which enables the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign to raise awareness about the intersections of housing and other sectors, continually expand its multi-sector network, and reach a diverse array of new stakeholders. Which Types of Organizations Should Join the Roundtable? Organizations that participate […]

Opportunity Starts at Home Newsletter (May 2018)

May 2018 What is Opportunity Starts at Home? The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is a longterm, dynamic, multi-sector housing campaign to meet the rental housing needs of the nation’s lowest income people. Various sectors are recognizing that affordable homes are inextricably linked to their own missions and priorities. Students do better. Patients are healthier. […]

Child Watch® Column: Child Opportunity and Stability Starts at Home

By Marian Wright Edelman Fifty years ago this week the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, became law after passing Congress in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination. The Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, […]

Opportunities for Latino Families Start at Home

  By: UnidosUS For the last 50 years, UnidosUS has worked to empower Latinos to contribute to our nation’s prosperity and share in its economic opportunities. We believe the stability and security provided by a good home is an important building block for our community to thrive: children can focus at school, workers can concentrate […]

What is Opportunity Starts at Home?

Housing affordability is central to other national priorities, like health care, economic growth, food security, education, civil rights, and more. But the affordable housing crisis has reached historic heights, most negatively impacting low-income people. Federal housing assistance is already chronically underfunded and currently faces unprecedented threats. • 1 in 4 renters – 11.4 million households […]

Opportunity Starts at Home. Our Advocacy Starts Now.

By: The National Alliance to End Homelessness The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is a long-term effort. Its strategy centers on improving federal policy: how can we incentivize and fund successful interventions that create sustainable housing for everyone?

It’s Time to Broaden the Affordable Housing Movement

By Mike Koprowski, Campaign Director for Opportunity Starts at Home  A safe, decent, affordable home is a foundation of opportunity, but it’s out of reach for far too many.  The evidence is quite clear that we are witnessing a severe housing affordability crisis in America, and its consequences are spilling over into many other sectors such […]

Recruit New Voices

Chances are high that if you’re reading this website, you’re already in the housing sector.   But the point of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is to broaden the movement to many other sectors that also have a vested interest in affordable housing for low-income people.  And we need housing advocates to help recruit […]

Add Affordable Housing to Your Organization’s Priorities

At its core, the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is about getting various sectors (i.e., education, health, civil rights, economic mobility, veterans) to understand the importance of affordable housing, to acknowledge that their own goals are inextricably tied to affordable housing, and to prioritize federal policies that protect and expand affordable housing. Our nation needs […]

Housing Affordability Challenges

AMERICA IS EXPERIENCING A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS “In no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. can a worker earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage afford a two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent by working a standard 40-hour work week.” (NLIHC, 2021) The 2021 national Housing Wage is $24.90 […]

Broadening the Movement: A Multi-Sector Response

The nature and magnitude of the severe shortage of affordable homes demands a broad, multi-sector response. Housing affordability is central to achieving better health, higher educational attainment, and longer lifetime earnings.  It makes sense that leaders from health care, education, civil rights and many other sectors are ready to join in the advocacy to advance […]

National Policy Agenda

To download the full report, click here. To have your organization endorse the National Policy Agenda, click here.  

Campaign Goals

The goals of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign are to advance federal housing solutions that: Bridge the growing gap between renter incomes and rising housing costs Provide aid to people experiencing job losses or other economic shocks to avert housing instability or homelessness Expand the affordable housing stock for the lowest income renters Defend […]