Advocate Survey

Thank you for your interest in advocacy opportunities with the National Alliance to End Homelessness! This survey will take about 5 minutes to complete.

Advocate Survey Spring 2025

Demographic Questions (optional)

Name

First Last

Address

City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

Race

Ethnicity

Gender Identity

Job Title

Sector of Employment

Years of Service in Sector

Type of Community You Live In (e.g., rural, urban, suburban, etc.)

Advocacy Communications

With current and anticipated future threats against homelessness funding and services, the Alliance will be engaging with advocates more frequently than ever before. Of the following options, which is the best way for you to receive information about advocacy and taking action?

Text messages

Emails

Visual messages, such as videos from Alliance senior leadership

Other

How frequently would you like to receive updates from the Alliance about advocacy opportunities?

Weekly

Monthly

On an as-needed/urgent basis

Other

How do you prefer that Alliance staff to advise you on educating Congressional lawmakers on homelessness issues? Check any or all that apply:

Blog posts

Webinars

Free online courses

Office hours with Alliance staff

Toolkits and guides posted on the Alliance's website

Trainings from NAEH staff + experienced state partner on grassroots advocacy

What do you need from the Alliance to become a better advocate?

More regular information from us about more issues the Alliance is working on

More regular information from the Alliance about what is happening in Congress

More fact sheets from the Alliance about the issues on which you want to advocate

More local leadership involvement

Identifying timely media opportunities that provide marketing expertise for crafting and pushing out a specific advocacy message

Advocacy Opportunities

Have you ever contacted your Members of Congress (your two Senators and one Representative) to support or oppose legislation involving homelessness?

Yes

If yes, how often?

1-3 times per year

4-6 times per year

6-10 times per year

10 or more times per year

Have you engaged in any of the following advocacy opportunities since 2022?

Attending the Alliance's Capitol Hill Day

Attending another organization's Capitol Hill Day

Sending a pre-written email/template form to your Congressional lawmakers

Sending a pre-written email/template form to your state or local lawmakers

Writing your own email to your lawmakers

Calling your Congressional office on the phone

Meeting with a Member of Congress/their staff (either virtual/in person, or in DC/in your home district)

Organizing local leaders within your community to host a site visit or ride-along for your Congressional lawmakers

Are you interested in educating your Congressional lawmakers to better understand how to prevent and end homelessness?

Yes

If no, what roadblocks/challenges do you/your organization have in terms of working with your Congressional members in this way?

What kinds of advocacy activities are you comfortable engaging on?

Sending a pre-written email to a Congressional lawmaker

Sending your own written email or mailed letter to a Congressional lawmaker

Telephoning Congressional offices

Meeting (virtually or in-person) with a Congressional lawmaker and/or their staff in Washington DC or in your area

Organizing local leaders within your network/community to host a site visit/meeting or ride-along for your members of Congress

How comfortable are you advocating to your Members of Congress on the following issues?

Provide local homelessness systems with more resources

Support programs that would build more affordable housing

Oppose policies that would prevent people experiencing homelessness from being provided with housing assistance and supportive services

What would help you to become an impactful advocate with your Congressional lawmakers?

Talking one-on-one with a peer in the same state or another state who is experiences in educating Congressional offices.

Learning from Alliance staff about how Congressional offices work and simple ways to advocate.

Having opportunities for peer training such as role-playing exercises to practice speaking in front of federal lawmakers

Learn more about the boundaries and scope of advocacy and the impact that it makes such as what are allowable activities regarding advocacy and lobbying for nonprofits and local, state and federal government employees

Learning from Alliance staff regarding the critical issues of homelessness

Attending an NAEH conference

Attending an NAEH in-person or virtual advocacy event

Being part of a group meeting with a Congressional lawmaker or their staff with an experienced colleague/advocate who leads the meeting

Are you involved in Congressional advocacy coordinated by another organization, whether on the local, state, or national level?  If so, which organization(s)? Please list here and describe your advocacy work with them.

Does your agency currently have policies and practices in place regarding educating lawmakers?

Yes

Don't know

Issue Areas

Which of the following policy issues are you most interested in advocating on with your Congressional lawmakers?

Ensuring that people experiencing homelessness are considered a priority in disaster preparedness and response efforts

Suspension, disruption, unpredictability of funding

Addressing racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness

Rural homelessness

Tribal homelessness

Family homelessness

Domestic violence

LGBTQ+ homelessness

Youth homelessness

Veteran homelessness

Re-entry and the criminal legal system

Removing barriers from and streamlining processes within targeted homelessness assistance grants programs

Strengthening the homeless response system

Expanding affordable housing

Expanding access to healthcare and services

Untitled