On Wednesday, May 4, Habitat Wake hosted our first ever Local Lobby Day. During this day of action, advocacy volunteers raised their collective voices in support of affordable housing and asked elected officials for additional funding for affordable housing in the Town and City budgets.
The Local Lobby Day was the culminating event for our Advocacy Ambassadors training series, where Habitat Wake volunteers learned about affordable housing policy, how to mobilize their neighbors, and how to advocate for affordable housing with policymakers.
Through Advocacy Ambassadors + Local Lobby Day we:
Local Lobby Day highlighted the need for action on affordable housing in Wake County
In our area, 1 in 4 families lack access to housing that is affordable. During our meetings on May 4, advocacy volunteers put faces, stories, and additional data to underscore the shortage of affordable housing options in Wake County.
As budget deadlines rapidly approach for local governments, it is critical that affordable housing is seen as a top priority. For municipalities that do not currently fund affordable housing in their budget, we advocated for dedicated funding in the upcoming budget. In the municipalities that do currently fund affordable housing, we asked for budget increases ranging from $500,000 to $1.6 million to increase the production of affordable housing.
Advocacy Ambassadors in action
"I’m participating because we need our local leaders to act. Rent is unaffordable, there are people working two or three jobs to be able to pay for housing. Many community members are being pushed out and don’t have access to reliable transportation to get to good paying jobs. We want people to be able to live where they work."
— Debra L. Franklin, Apex volunteer on why she joined the Local Lobby Day