Promoting the human right to housing as a major issue in the 2020 election. #Housing2020
The National Homelessness Law Center is launching an election guide for the 2020 United States presidential race, as well as a Voting Rights Toolkit for each of the 50 states. The Election 2020 Guide to the Human Right to Housing seeks to promote the human right to housing as a major issue in the 2020 election, and the Toolkit ensures that those without a permanent home are still able to make their voice heard.
The Law Center believes housing is a fundamental human right and that all candidates and officials should embrace this framework in order to create policies that guarantee this right for all Americans. The Guide provides information to advocates, voters, and candidates on homelessness as well as housing statistics for cities and states across the U.S. It also includes tools, like a 2020 election events calendar, an overview of causes and solutions around housing and homelessness, social media guides, hashtags to follow our updates on the election, and more.
The Guide is an evolving project and is subject to change. Keep up with it by following us on Twitter and Instagram @NLCHPhomeless!
The Law Center is a non-partisan organization and will not be endorsing any presidential candidates.
You Don’t Need a Home to Vote: 50 State Know Your Voting Rights Guide for People Experiencing Homelessness
Voting is a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution—including for people without housing. Outreach and information to ensure that people experiencing homelessness know their rights, and can exercise them, is crucial.
The Law Center has partnered with the National Coalition for the Homeless, Thomas Reuters Foundation, and Goodwin to create a voting rights cards for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a manual explaining the right to vote.
Housing is a Human Right: End Homelessness in America
The Housing is a Human Right: End Homelessness in America document aims to contextualize the issue of housing as a human right. It provides statistics around housing and homelessness as well as an explanation of the leading causes of homelessness in the U.S. It also makes tangible policy recommendations, such as increasing access to affordable housing and shortening homelessness by ending its criminalization, so that policymakers can demonstrate their commitment to recognizing housing as a human right.
In this way, the Housing is a Human Right: End Homelessness in America document serves as the starting point for advocacy leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Utilizing this information as a launch pad, ask the candidates, “Do you believe housing is a human right? What are your plans to end homelessness and create affordable housing in America?”
