To advance housing justice, residents must be treated as true partners in creating what change looks like and how it happens. It’s crucial to have philanthropy’s support of community engagement to successfully support resident leaders and build the movement to a scale needed for real change.
The California Resident United Network (RUN) is a unique and exciting collaboration between the Center for Community Change’s Housing Trust Fund Project and Housing California. RUN unites residents who live in affordable homes, front-line housing staff and management at a power-sharing table where residents have the majority voice. Together, they learn about the systemic inequity that created California’s housing crisis and advance solutions both locally and statewide to change that system. Enabling residents to have a majority voice in RUN is imperative for a couple of reasons:
- Residents can connect and inspire fellow residents to action more effectively. There are close to one million people living in homes made affordable by public subsidy in California. Even if RUN reaches just a portion of those folks, tens of thousands of families with unique voices will be added to the advocacy efforts for stable, healthy communities in the state.
- Empowered residents can have a huge impact on public perception by telling their stories, talking about their love for their community and the world they want to see. For real lasting change to occur, the movement for housing and community justice must be grounded in the vision, passion and lived experience of residents.
Theresa Winkler experienced homelessness for many years on the streets of L.A., facing such barriers as untreated mental health issues and drug abuse. Today, Theresa is in recovery and living in an affordable apartment at Skid Row Housing Trust. But her story is not about redemption or charity. And it doesn’t end with a safe, affordable home – rather, it begins there.
Now, Theresa’s story continues through her work as a RUN resident leader. As part of a RUN action last year, Theresa spearheaded the collection of more than 40 letters in a matter of days that urged Governor Jerry Brown to sign a bill to expand affordable housing. Kicking off 2016, Theresa delivered the opening address at the new California Assembly Speaker’s press conference advocating for more affordable housing.
There are many resident leaders like Theresa within RUN who have stepped up to be spokespersons, advocates and organizers: Zondre, William, Kenneth and more. RUN and our partners recognize the power that organized residents can bring, including introducing new tactics that impress decision-makers, sharing powerful stories and mobilizing other residents with their passion and commitment.
California has nearly 39 million people, boasts an economy that ranks 7th or 8th in the world and is the 3rd largest U.S. state by area. To organize throughout such a large state begins with building trusted partnerships so that “game changing” relationships can develop among residents, staff and management. Currently, RUN focuses on five regions (Sacramento, the Bay Area, Fresno/Central Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego), working with trusted backbone organizations to anchor the work in each.
With organizing in such a big state comes challenges, chiefly how to get everyone in the same place and keep a vibrant communication system operating across the state. So far our solutions have included:
- Monthly leadership conference calls to make RUN decisions.
- Online training through interactive webinars.
- Online/offline communication with our members.
- Periodic regional meetings for partners with similar agendas.
These challenges provide an opportunity for grantmakers to invest in innovative strategies to help groups like RUN expand upon traditional organizing, such as simultaneous training via video stream and development of texting and social media networks that keep people connected while being accessible to folks with technology barriers.
However, nothing comes close to in-person meetings and actions, and grantmakers should continue to embrace their convening power. Face-to-face gatherings generate energy, build strong connections among members and catch the attention of decision-makers.
Some philanthropic early adapters like the Liberty Hill Foundation have helped with funding for Los Angeles residents to travel to RUN events in northern California. The California Endowment has made their space available for meetings. Face-to-face meetings are also staff intensive, underscoring the importance of core support, such as that provided to the Housing Trust Fund Project by the Oak Foundation and the Campion Foundation.
Foundations that support resident engagement can look forward to seeing their investments have real returns in the numbers of people who have been directly impacted by housing inequality coming together to create lasting change for social justice.
Katy Heins, a senior organizer with the Center for Community Change, leads the resident organizing initiatives of CCC’s Housing Trust Fund Project. Before joining CCC, Katy was the executive director of the Contact Center in Cincinnati, which works to empower low-income women to organize for social justice in their communities.
Leave a Reply