The National Coalition for Housing Justice (NCHJ) is aligned behind seeking housing justice in order to end homelessness, including youth homelessness. The national organizations that make up the NCHJ represent advocates and leaders in national efforts to end homelessness. 

Today, the coalition released the following statement calling on Congress to commit to and secure historic levels of funding for housing and homelessness services in the Build Back Better Act.

The National Coalition for Housing Justice (NCHJ) is aligned behind seeking housing justice in order to end homelessness, including youth homelessness. The national organizations that make up the NCHJ represent advocates and leaders in national efforts to end homelessness. 

Today, the coalition released the following statement, condemning the ongoing use of law enforcement in response to visible homelessness and calling on the federal government to take steps to stop this harmful approach.

In July, Funders Together members were joined by three housing justice leaders for a Q&A to discuss the current state of housing and homeless service federal investments in response to COVID-19. Ann Oliva, Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Sarah Saadian, Vice President of Public Policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and Susan Thomas, President of Melville Charitable Trust, joined Brittani Manzo, a consultant and advisor to Funders Together, in conversation to share insights and recommendations.

The Partnership for Equitable and Resilient Communities is a newly formed public-private partnership between the Federal government (anchored at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and including an interagency working group convened by the Domestic Policy Council) and U.S. philanthropic partners (anchored by the Melville Charitable Trust).

During this call, Ann Oliva, Senior Fellow on Housing at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Sarah Saadian, Vice President of Public Policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, summarized federal investments in homelessness services and housing since the start of the pandemic and what we are anticipating in the coming months.

As funders think about what it means to engage in homelessness and housing policy change that is rooted in equity and justice, the strategies used to achieve true systems change require an intentional shift in power and voice. The question funders must ask is how can philanthropy ensure it is “powering with” rather than “powering over” activists, organizers, and people with lived expertise who are on the ground advancing the work? To answer that question, an understanding of what it means to build power and how it relates to homelessness and housing efforts is critical.

• Thursday, July 29 | 1:00-2:30 ET / 10:00-11:30 PT 

• $30 for Full Members 
• $60 for Basic (non-dues paying) Members and Non-Members  

The National Coalition for Housing Justice, of which Funders Together is a part of, sent the following letter to Congressional leaders lifting up priorities and resource needs for people experiencing homelessness in the next COVID-19 relief and recovery package.

**First 100 Day Priority
 
Upon taking office, the Biden administration made advancing racial equity and addressing structural racism within the federal government a clear priority in its agenda. This priority includes promoting fair housing policies, strengthening the nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous tribes and Native Alaskans, ending the use of private prisons, and combating xenophobia against Asian American and Pacific Islanders.  

Part of this priority includes an Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. Led by the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), it requires a whole government response through interagency work to “remove systemic barriers to and provide equal access to opportunities and benefits, identify communities the Federal Government has underserved, and develop policies designed to advance equity for those communities.” It also rescinded the Trump administration executive order (EO) banning racial equity trainings for federal contractors and grant recipients and the EO on the 1776 Commission, as well as opened the door for bold transformation within the federal government. 

This presents a unique opportunity for philanthropy that has been engaged in racial equity and justice work to partner closely with agencies like HUD to share lessons learned and best methods for prioritizing this work successfully. As the department rebuilds with new staff and priorities, funders can utilize the relationship building through public-private partnerships to provide concrete examples of what has worked in the private sector (both internally within your organization and externally with the community), where there are opportunities for improvement, and how the federal government can measure progress or success. This can be done through racial equity review teams of philanthropy and federal officials as a mechanism of information sharing. 

Philanthropy can be instrumental in pushing the administration to reframe its messaging around its racial equity initiatives because we know that language matters based on the research philanthropy has funded. The EO references “underserved communities” when in reality, communities have been continually disenfranchised because of structural racism and the intentional lack of investment by philanthropy and government alike. Making clear the historical context and reality of why communities have been disenfranchised is part of racial equity and justice. Funders who have been engaged in this work should challenge federal agencies and officials to use language that accurately describes history and avoid white-washed messaging in order to make others feel comfortable. 

In addition, funders should provide BIPOC consultant references to HUD staff and federal contractors to help facilitate internal learning and assist in the development of strategic priorities around racial equity and justice, especially given the impacts the Trump administration EO on banning racial equity trainings had on consultants and trainers. 

Philanthropy can also facilitate racial equity working groups with HUD that include grantee partners and BIPOC and LGBTQ individuals with lived expertise who can consult on design and models for data collection, identifying barriers to access for government benefits and contracting opportunities, and development of equitable and just policies within HUD and connected agencies.  

<< Back to Recommendations

>> Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>> Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>> Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>> Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>> Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

>> Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

Philanthropy across the country is funding research locally and nationally to understand how the public views homelessness and housing, its connection to structural racism and opportunity, and how to frame housing as a common good rather than solely a commodity.  

This narrative must be focused on structural racism (not just race), incorporate the voices of those with lived expertise, and sync with the work currently happening to help departments and agencies have a cohesive message and narrative. This is a clear way for philanthropy and the administration to partner and expand on what has already been done instead of re-creating something new. Creating open pathways to share this research about housing justice narratives with HUD, USICH, and communications and public affairs staff at intersecting departments can help align how we frame housing and homelessness in productive ways with an intentional through line between the federal, state, and local levels. 

Funders can come together and think about what narrative and messaging can be curated now around what evidence proves works share this with public affairs staff to push and gain support for equitable and just homelessness and housing policy. There may also be an opportunity to share these learnings by engaging junior public affairs staff, who often draft talking points and press releases, in a professional development or capacity building setting. Likewise, philanthropy can open the window of influence by providing the space and conditions for public affairs staff to convene with funders, researchers, people with lived expertise, and other community stakeholders to share lessons learned on messaging and who the best messengers are.   

<< Back to Recommendations

>> Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>> Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>> Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>> Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>> Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>> Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

Often, relationship-building within the administration is focused on political staff, with the expectation that this influence will advance favorable policies and practices. As we look to reimagine the homelessness and housing systems, philanthropy should also build strong partnerships with career staff as well. These individuals that align on values and priorities have knowledge and expertise of the most effective ways to push policies and programs through the right channels to implementation.  

Creating mutual support networks among both political and career staff and providing them with the backing to push bold policies generates conditions in which they can strategically advance racial and housing justice internally within agencies and departments. In addition, building this support can result in long-term sustainability of allies within the federal government that can ensure progress made is continued and institutionalized. 

Funders should meet with past and current career staff to build relationships and understand the most effective form of support networks and what mechanisms and resources are needed for the staff to gain support from leadership and follow through with implementation. 

To accomplish this, philanthropy can: 

• Push to meet with top political and career leaders responsible for specific programs to start the relationship-building process and put it top of mind for leaders. 
• Engage in “match-making” and connect career staff within federal agencies and departments to philanthropic staff for follow-up and implementation assistance. 
• Form committees composed of leaders at comparable levels (i.e. political leaders meet with senior philanthropy staff, program officers meet with career and program staff, etc.) 
• Construct program and policy committees where best practices and evidence can be candidly discussed and conversations around public-private partnerships can bud. 
• Work with and provide funding to grantee partners to host civilian employees of federal agencies for a temporary period of time through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) mobility program. 

<< Back to Recommendations

>> Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>> Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>> Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>> Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>> Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>> Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

Strategic philanthropic partnerships helped previous administrations move beyond the walls of government and into the communities to make an impact and feel connected. The new administration must again have presence in the field to make sure the voices of communities are prioritized and reflected in programs and policies.  

Through public-private partnerships, funders can push the administration to prioritize policies and practices that follow the lead of grassroots organizers and activists. Because philanthropy already has relationships in local communities, funders can partner with the administration to go beyond community engagement and engage in co-governance models and focus on racial justice by using the expertise of those who have been doing this work locally for decades. In addition, fundamental to creating a culture of racial justice, philanthropy should examine how they can create pathways to careers, advisory bodies, and task forces for grassroots organizations and people with lived expertise of housing insecurity.  

Another focus is around creating a listening or feedback mechanism that requires the voice of communities, especially those who are most impacted, to be incorporated into any program or policy. Philanthropy can support and facilitate real time feedback from the community on advanced notices or early-stage ideas of program design that can then be used to make necessary changes that center equity and justice prior to being implemented into near final versions.   

<< Back to Recommendations

>> Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>> Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>> Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>> Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>> Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

>> Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

**First 100 Day Priority 

Now is the time to re-engage in true partnerships, not just transactional relationships, with the federal government. Philanthropy should not be expected to fill the funding gap that is created by lacking or inadequate government action. As federal positions are being filled, private philanthropy should reach out to agencies to offer thought-partnership and education on what we have learned about homelessness and housing best practices and evidence-based solutions that prioritize Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Funders should harness their convening power and expertise by offering access to evidence-based practices and research funders have supported; trust and relationships with local communities; and connections to those with lived expertise to inform programs and policies. This could be done through the exploration of on-going learning sessions led by grantee partners, specifically organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color leaders. 

Philanthropy can act as a broker of relationships between local communities and the federal administration. To ensure engagement happens before implementation, hold recurring listening sessions that feature community members such as grantees, stakeholders, and people with lived expertise and connect them to agency and department staff working to create and implement policies. This is most effectively done through an advisory role, which may require establishing a Federal Advisory Committee. Foundation staff can also be lifted up as repositories of information who can compile, analyze, and communicate guidance around what works best within local communities to prevent and end homelessness and also connection to experts on the ground for local context.

For true partnerships to form, accountability must be in place. Through these partnerships, set the expectation of accountability mechanisms determined by communities to allow for candid evaluation about what is working and what is not. Talk with grantees and other stakeholders about what the accountability mechanism design should be, then facilitate the dialogue and implementation of that with government entities. 

<< Back to Recommendations

>> Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>> Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>> Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>> Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>> Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

>> Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

**First 100 Day Priority 

The federal government should not and cannot work in a vacuum. One way to prevent this vacuum is for advocacy organizations and activists to create substantial pressure from the outside. Philanthropy can be a catalyst in creating this pressure by providing quick and flexible resources for organizers and coalitions to build capacity and power to influence the administration’s vision and policy proposals and act as accountability partners. 

One way to do this is through supporting the National Coalition for Housing Justice, a group of 14 national organizations, including Funders Together to End Homelessness, that are aligned in seeking housing justice in order to end homelessness. Since its formation in the Fall of 2019, the coalition has come together to coordinate advocacy efforts, develop policy recommendations, and leverage collective tools to garner the attention of both lawmakers and the public to meet the goal of housing justice. Supporting the coalition will allow it to both continue and expand components of its work, such as: 

• working with key federal officials to inform and influence upcoming policy and program design and implementation through targeted community listening sessions and public comment opportunities tied to advanced copies of Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) outlines for on-the-ground feedback before it is finalized.
• aligning with homelessness and housing narrative projects to continue much needed messaging to change hearts and minds around homelessness and its solutions to influence federal officials to craft and design equitable policies and solutions to homelessness and gain public support for those solutions.
• engaging Black and Brown led organizers, activists, and people with lived expertise in the coalition’s work by informing efforts and having leadership positions within the coalition.
• building capacity for implementation of The Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response. 
• coordinating and aligning with A New Deal on Housing Justice on policy priorities to advance racial and housing justice.

Funders who are unable to support national efforts can focus on resourcing local grantee partners, organizers, and activists to better equip them with the capacity to work with the National Coalition for Housing Justice and by connecting them to each other. It is critical for voices and expertise at national, state, and local levels to be working in concert and create a strong network of influence and accountability that can drive and push this administration to engage in systems redesign that achieves housing justice. 

<<Back to Recommendations

>>Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery**

>>Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>>Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>>Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>>Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

>>Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

**First 100 Day Priority  

As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, philanthropy should educate the administration on what is happening in their community and the vast need for immediate relief to those who are disproportionally impacted through a comprehensive federal relief bill. Relief must include robust funding for rental assistance and people experiencing homelessness as well as connected policies such as strong eviction moratorium.

This is a continuation of what is already being done, but now with a commitment to go beyond the minimum and stress the importance for these funds to be equitably utilized and targeted to ensure they are reaching the communities most in need who are often left out of the mainstream funding. 

By using its convening power, philanthropy can facilitate community listening sessions that address the urgency of resources needed for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability. These listening sessions can provide a baseline for future conversations by starting the relationship-building process and expectation that communities and government entities should create feedback mechanisms on future policies. 

Philanthropy has funded frameworks for equitable recovery and can urge the administration to incorporate these frameworks designed by grantee partners as requirements into emergency response funding and in other contexts such as disaster recovery. Funders can also use our COVID-19 Response and System Redesign Recommendations for Philanthropy to provide the administration with a view and understanding of how philanthropy can be a catalyst for racial and housing justice both and stress the need for the federal government to be an active partner in these efforts. 

Funders can also host listening sessions with the administration to address the importance of actions to keep people experiencing homelessness healthy and safe, such as:  

• Requiring the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to prioritize addressing the public health implications for people experiencing homelessness such as higher risk of infection due to congregate shelter models; preexisting health conditions; inability to “shelter at home” and isolate; and lack of access to necessary resources.
• Elevating the CDC guidance to an order on no encampment evictions without individual housing. 
• Ensuring people experiencing homelessness are prioritized in the vaccine distribution by including them in the definition of vulnerable or critical populations that should be part of first tier vaccination efforts, as well as staff who support people individuals experiencing homelessness. 
• Prioritizing mobile outreach servicing for testing and treatment, especially within encampments due to people experiencing homelessness being at an increased risk for developing severe cases of COVID-19. 

<<Back to Recommendations

>>Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy**

>>Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice**

>>Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities**

>>Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

>>Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

>>Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

Last update February 1, 2021

Over the past four years, we have witnessed numerous policy attempts to dismantle humane, effective, and equitable solutions to ending homelessness and housing instability. There were concerted efforts within federal leadership and agencies to rollback critical protections for historically marginalized communities, undo regulations grounded in evidence-based solutions, and set up conditions for new policies that actively fought against racial equity and justice. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic created new conditions in which people experiencing homelessness, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, were disregarded or intentionally left out of response and recovery conversations.  

With the new Biden-Harris administration there is hope, but philanthropy cannot step back and allow systems to return to the status quo – because the status quo was unjust and inequitable. Instead, funders must focus on ensuring that people with lived expertise help to build racially just housing infrastructure and that there are strong accountability measures to maintain it. We believe philanthropy has an obligation to support and resource efforts that will disrupt the status quo that centers whiteness and upholds white supremacy.
 
As philanthropy looks to engage with a Biden-Harris administration, there are priorities to center and actions to take to ensure the first year builds a strong foundation for creating and implementing bold policies rooted in housing justice. All these recommendations for engaging with the new administration begin with and prioritize racial and housing justice. 

**First 100 Day Priority

**Support an Equitable COVID-19 Response and Recovery

**Fund Advocacy and Organizing Efforts to Build and Advance Bold Policy

**Engage in Relational Public-Private Partnerships Rooted in Justice

**Model How to Advance Racial Equity and Invest in Disenfranchised Communities

Facilitate Transparency in Engaging Community Voices on the Ground

Build Relationships to Support Both Political and Career Staff

Support Narrative and Messaging Efforts for Public Affairs Staff

Download the PDF here.

On July 23, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development officially proposed a rule that would rewrite the Equal Access Rule as it stand and erase protections for LGBTQ people facing becoming unhoused or in need of any HUD-funded services. This proposed rule change would remove critical equal access protections that ensure equal access for everyone in need of HUD-funded services and programs, but particularly targets transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary individuals. HUD exists to “build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination,” however the proposed rule would open the door to taxpayer-funded discrimination against the people in our communities who are at the greatest risk of violence and inequities. The Equal Access Rule’s protections against discrimination are critical to ensure safe access to shelter for transgender, non-binary, or gender nonconforming people experiencing homelessness, survivors of violence, and people fleeing disasters.

Currently, homeless shelters are expressly directed to accept transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary people, but the proposed changes would instead allow shelters to reject members of these communities simply because of who they are. This proposed roll-back would allow widespread discrimination towards transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary people when they are facing becoming unhoused, or fleeing from disaster. The current regulations provide safety in HUD-funded programs, and this proposed rule change would only leave transgender and non-binary people less safe and more at risk, especially during a global health crisis.

Funders Together created a joint statement alongside our advocacy partners denouncing the rule, which you can read here.

How Philanthropy Can Take Action

This proposed rule comment period opened Friday, July 24, and will run through September 22, which is the deadline to submit comments on this proposed rule change. HUD is legally required to write a response to each unique comment before they can implement a Final Rule, meaning that the more comments they receive, the longer it will take them to put this dangerous and discriminatory rule into effect. 

Funders Together is working closely with our partners on a campaign to generate as many public comments in opposition of the rule as possible in order to slow down the process in which this proposed rule could become approved. Philanthropy can take action and join in with other leaders to oppose this proposed rule and protect LGBTQ and trans people from shelter and housing discrimination by:

• submitting a public comment. Funders can prepare unique comments and submit them through the Housing Saves Lives comment portal. Funders Together is available to help you strategize and craft comments. Funders should also encourage their grantee partners to submit unique comments.
  
  
• reviewing our funder call on the Equal Access Rule. Funders Together partnered with Funders for LGBTQ Issues for a call on the Equal Access Rule, how to take action, and other ways funders can support and protect the LGBTQ and trans communities. You can view the recording here. 
  
  
• signing up for updates on the Housing Saves Lives website to receive emails about updates to the campaign and additional resources to help you speak up against this proposed rule.
  
  
• utilizing the Housing Saves Lives partner toolkit to get the word out to your network about the proposed rule and its potential impacts.

Remember: Submitting comments to proposed regulatory changes is NOT considered lobbying. Private foundations can provide comments in response to this proposed rule, and public charities, like community foundations, can do so without tracking and reporting it as lobbying on their 990s.

If you have any questions about this proposed rule or submitting public comments, please email Amanda Andere or Lauren Bennett. 

Upcoming Programming

National Alliance to End Homelessness Webinar: A Conversation About the Equal Access Rule and Why It Matters
Wednesday, September 16 | 2pm ET, 11am PT

Additional Resources

Center for American Progress: The Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Transgender People Facing Homelessness

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: HUD’s Proposed Rule Would Allow Discrimination Against Transgender People

National Alliance to End Homelessness: Changes to HUD’s Equal Access Rule Could Exclude More Transgender People From Shelter

National Alliance to End Homelessness: Transgender Homeless Adults & Unsheltered Homelessness: What the Data Tell Us

True Colors United: Help Stop Trump’s Anti-Trans Rule 

The National Coalition for Housing Justice, of which Funders Together is a part of, sent the following to HUD Secretary Designee Fudge expressing our desire for partnership to achieve racial and housing justice and requesting a meeting to align on priorities. 

Across the country, communities are working to end homelessness and address housing challenges by shifting policy to transform systems. In order to do that and achieve housing justice, strong political and public will must be built. However, gaining support requires compelling and values-based messaging to make the case. We have heard over and over that we need to “shift the narrative.” But, what does that really mean and what messages work?

Below are resources, past and current research projects, and programming focused on homelessness and housing messaging that can help guide funders as they look to implement narrative and messaging campaigns in the community to build both political and public will to end housing insecurity.

Funders Together Resources

Webinars and Guides

Webinar Recording: Housing and Homelessness Narrative Change: From Research to Action

How to Frame Homelessness Messaging

Narrative Change and Messaging Research Resources

ASO Communications

From It to I to Us: A Language Analysis of Discourse on Housing

No Place Like Home: Cognitive Elicitation Interviews on Housing

Center for Media & Social Impact

Homelessness & Housing Security in U.S. Culture: How Popular Culture & News Depict an American Challenge

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Housing Narrative Research

CZI Housing Narrative Research Overview

Frameworks Institute

Housing Toolkit

Talking About Poverty: Narratives, Counter-Narratives, and Telling Effective Stories

Housing Justice Narrative Initiative

Housing Justice Narrative Initiative website

Research

Webinars

Resources and Tools

Homeless Narrative Action Campaign

Project Overview

Invisible People

What America Believes About Homelessness

Progressive Playbook

Housing Messaging Guide

TheCaseMade

Dismantling the Narratives That Constrain Public Support for Fair Housing: the Urgent Need to Reframe the Public Conversation to Build Public Will

How Do Fish See Water? Building Public Will to Advance Inclusive Communities

Making the Case for Systems Change: Tackling the Issues of Gentrification & Displacement 

Who Gets to Live Where, and Why? The Answer May Be Settled By Our Narratives

"You Don't Have to Live Here" Why Housing Messages Are Backfiring and 10 Things We Can Do About It

Funders Together to End Homelessness joins national organizations partner organizations in the efforts to end homelessness to release the following statement: