The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is advised by a Steering Committee including leading national organizations representing a wide range of sectors that are working shoulder-to-shoulder to solve the housing affordability crisis. Affordable housing campaigns are not new, of course, but what is unprecedented and transformative about Opportunity Starts at Home is the scope and diversity of the partners that are joining forces to advocate for more robust and equitable federal housing policies. Each bring their own perspectives and concerns, but all share the belief that their goals are inextricably linked to whether people have access to safe, decent, affordable homes in thriving neighborhoods.
Steering Committee members provide on-going strategic and tactical guidance to the campaign; assist with developing sector-specific content; mobilize their respective networks around certain policy actions; participate in campaign events; engage state/local affiliates about campaign matters; and encourage other organizations in their sector to participate in the campaign.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition initially launched the campaign together with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Children’s HealthWatch, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Additional Steering Committee members include: Catholic Charities USA, Children’s Defense Fund, Community Catalyst, Food Research and Action Center, JustLeadershipUSA, NAACP, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association, National League of Cities, National LGBTQ Task Force, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Women’s Law Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, and UnidosUS.