WEBINAR ARCHIVE

It’s no coincidence that low-income communities that face the greatest barriers to stable, accessible, and affordable housing also face the greatest barriers to voting. This webinar will kick off the Our Homes, Our Votes: 2022 webinar series with an important discussion on the connection between housing justice and political participation. Join us to discuss why housing advocates should care about elections and why we must break down the obstacles that low-income renters face in the political process.

With elections just months away, housing organizations are launching their election initiatives. This webinar will walk through every aspect of a strong voter and candidate engagement campaign—encompassing voter registration, voter education, Get Out the Vote (GOTV), candidate engagement, and ballot measure advocacy. Presenters will provide tips for organizations to assess their capacity, build partnerships, set goals, and secure funding that will enable them to carry out their plans effectively.

Nonprofit organizations, including housing justice nonprofits, can and should participate in nonpartisan voter and candidate engagement campaigns. To do so with confidence, organizations should be familiar with the laws that govern nonprofits’ election-related work. Join experts who will address frequently asked questions, clear up misconceptions, and provide resources for 501c3 nonprofits that are launching voter and candidate engagement activities. 

Fortunately, no housing nonprofit needs to reinvent the wheel or go it alone when launching their election engagement work. Many organizations provide helpful resources and support for nonpartisan election activities. Partners will join NLIHC to review the tools and templates that housing organizations can use to jumpstart their election initiatives—making it that much easier to have a successful campaign.

The first step to expand voter participation is to ensure that low-income renters are registered to vote. This webinar will review strategies to increase voter registration, overcome voter apathy, and ensure that all communities recognize their stake in the outcome of elections. Panelists will also discuss how to host successful voter registration events and organize door-to-door canvassing operations in buildings and neighborhoods with low registration rates.

Housing advocates, resident councils, and tenant associations are eager to increase voter registration among new residents and other individuals who are eligible to vote. There are best practices for finding and registering these voters. This webinar will share strategies for identifying residences and neighborhoods with high numbers of eligible voters who are not yet registered; incorporating voter registration into day-to-day operations at service agencies, libraries, and community centers; working with managers to reach low-income residents; and using tools such as the Preservation Database.

Housing providers can register and mobilize their residents to vote. But there are special considerations for public housing agencies (PHAs) and operators of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) housing. This webinar will explore how housing providers can support voter registration and mobilization, and how PHAs can conduct voter registration activities with Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) households who can be harder to reach during voter registration drives.

Tenant and resident leaders play a pivotal role in mobilizing their communities to vote. Join tenant and resident leaders to hear about their experiences registering, educating, and mobilizing voters in their buildings. Panelists will discuss how to develop messaging that builds trust and generates enthusiasm about participating in the political process, successful tactics for reaching first-time voters, ways to ensure that low-income renters have the resources and information they need to vote, and how to organize residents to become leaders in their own communities’ election engagement efforts.

Too often, affordable homes are ignored in the public debate leading up to elections. To elevate housing solutions on the national agenda, candidates for elected office must understand that the issue of affordable housing is important to voters. This webinar will explore the most common methods to get candidates to discuss housing solutions on the record—including candidate questionnaires, forums, site visits, and town hall meetings—and legal considerations for nonprofits. The discussion will also feature ideas for social media and conventional media engagement with candidates, such as op-eds and Letters to the Editor.

Registered voters need information to exercise their rights with confidence. A successful voter education campaign should ensure that voters have the logistical details they need to show up at the polls or vote by mail. The webinar will cover best practices for educating voters about polling locations, vote-by-mail, ID requirements, provisional ballots, and knowing your voting rights. Panelists will also discuss opportunities to educate voters on the candidates’ policy positions and what to expect on their ballots.

People experiencing homelessness, service providers, and election officials often face uncertainty about the process of voter registration for those without a permanent address. This webinar will discuss how people experiencing homelessness can exercise their voting rights and overcome the obstacles to making their voices heard in the political arena. Experts will discuss best practices for unhoused voters, shelters and outreach agencies, and election administrators.

Ballot initiatives are powerful mechanisms to secure tenant protections and significant investments in housing programs at the state and local level. Bringing issues directly to the voters can be an expensive and complex undertaking, but often produces transformative results. This session will discuss how to get housing on the ballot and carry out a successful ballot initiative campaign.

Early voting and vote-by-mail are important options for people who might face obstacles to voting on Election Day—including people with inflexible schedules, childcare responsibilities, or limited transportation options. The COVID-19 pandemic has made vote-by-mail an especially critical option to ensure that voting is accessible to all. Panelists will discuss how to navigate state laws and incorporate early voting and vote-by-mail in Get Out the Vote (GOTV) strategies.

Pervasive voter suppression has disenfranchised people of color and other underrepresented groups throughout American history. Today, returning citizens, people with disabilities, older adults, English language learners, and members of other marginalized communities face disproportionate barriers to voting. Experts from civil rights organizations will review laws that impose obstacles to voting, how they affect low-income renters, and strategies to overcome them.

Election Day is an all-hands-on-deck effort to get voters to the polls—the culmination of months of voter registration, education, and mobilization activities. Panelists will review the most effective Election Day Get Out the Vote (GOTV) tactics, such as coordinating rides to the polls, hosting community walks to the polls, bringing snacks and music to keep people in line at busy polling locations, and recruiting volunteers to follow up with those who have not yet voted. The webinar will also explore community efforts to protect against voter intimidation campaigns, which are often intended to deter low-income people and communities of color from voting.

Elected officials are most attentive to the concerns of their constituents who vote. After the election is over, housing organizations should evaluate the success of their voter engagement efforts and demonstrate that low-income renters are a significant, active voting bloc in their communities—a constituency to whom elected officials must be responsive. Panelists will discuss opportunities to hold elected officials accountable to their campaign promises, establish relationships with new staff, and ensure that candidates who champion affordable housing on the campaign trail maintain that commitment when their terms begin.