Where Will We Live?

Resources for affordable housing are at great risk. We need to change the way we advocate, develop a more effective strategy and build a broader coalition beyond traditional housing stakeholders.

That’s why in 2017 The National Housing Trust, in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners launched a special effort to elevate housing issues at the federal, state and local levels using a grassroots campaign strategy called: Where Will We Live?

I joined the National Housing Trust to interview residents, property staff, maintenance crews and community members from numerous states on how stable housing has impacted their lives and community.

During these meetings, we are learning their stories – their background, experiences, struggles, goals, and values. From these stories, we are beginning to understand the impact that stable housing has made in their journey. From there, we crafted a digital story gallery to push for increased federal funding for affordable housing.

These stories are being shared with elected officials, community members and the local constituents. These compelling narratives highlight how affordable housing directly impacts the lives of low-income families. These are not numbers, facts or figures; these are people — nurses, students, immigrants, refugees and single parents.