CEO Corner:
Week of August 11

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the chance to travel around the country – literally from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine. It reminded me how beautiful this country is: the Pacific Northwest with its majestic mountains, and Maine with its gorgeous coast (among many other sights). I met lots of people from all walks of life over the last two weeks. And with almost every person, when we started talking, the discussion turned to the high cost of living, and the high cost of housing in particular. It is a common theme across rural and urban communities, in red and blue states alike. Sometimes I mentioned what I do for work, sometimes not. But I noted that people are hurting even in places where you might not think they are – even in the most beautiful places on earth.

What we have seen from the Trump Administration over the last several weeks will certainly make this pain – especially for extremely low-income and homeless people – worse.  

You have already heard from us on the July 24 Executive Order, and there is a bit more on that below. And by now most of you are aware that President Trump announced in a press conference yesterday the launch of an unwelcomed and unjustified takeover of Washington, D.C. by federal law enforcement. It was thinly veiled as a “public safety emergency” while loosely tying crime to homelessness. In related social media posts, the President stated that people experiencing homelessness would have to “move out” of the District immediately, and that they would be relocated to places “far away” from the capital city.

I know that many of you are not close to D.C. geographically, or even on the east coast. But you need to know that what happens here in D.C. has broader implications for all communities across the country. And other cities like New York, Oakland, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore were specifically mentioned as places where this approach may be tried in the future.  

The Alliance knows that navigating next steps forward will require remaining calm and being strategic. We must remain true to our values, but also stay disciplined and adaptable as we pursue collective action.

As the Alliance team continues to strategize responses to the implications of the recent Executive Order and other actions taken by this administration, this week we want to focus on ways that you can stay active and engaged while preparing for what is ahead.

Register for Virtual Capitol Hill Day

As you can see in this week’s post – there’s a lot to advocate about.

In about a month, the Alliance will be holding our virtual Capitol Hill Day. Registration is now open, and I encourage anyone who is available and interested to sign up. You’ll get the opportunity to meet with your Congressional offices virtually to talk about what your community needs for homelessness and housing, and we all know how urgent these needs are right now.

If you’ve never advocated before, or aren’t sure what you would say, don’t worry: in the weeks leading up to virtual Capitol Hill Day, Alliance staff will send out materials, hold a webinar, set up small group calls, and coordinate with other advocates in your state to make sure you are well prepared to meet with Congressional staffers.

Virtual Capitol Hill Day will take place on September 17. Please note that these meetings are still being scheduled and may take place any time between 9:00am – 5:00pm ET, so keep your calendar as open as possible.

You can register here, and please feel free to reach out to Samantha Wood, the Alliance’s Senior Field Organizer (swood@naeh.org), if you have any questions.

Take Action in August

While we encourage folks to sign up for virtual Capitol Hill Day, you don’t have to wait until September to advocate. Members of Congress are out on August recess until September 2; they’re not in D.C., but they’re spending time in their districts and visiting with constituents.

Alliance staff have heard from Congressional staff that this time is just as effective to reach out and share your needs on housing and homelessness.

There are two ways you can do that:

• Use the Alliance’s Summer Advocacy Guide to schedule a site visit, set up a meeting, or engage in other ways with your Member of Congress while they’re in your area.

• Contact your Member of Congress via phone call or email, and advocate for $4.922 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants in the upcoming federal budget, a 21% increase.

Glimmer Report

I want to express my gratitude for the Alliance’s group of summer interns this year: Gabe, Amelia, Gwen, David, Ria, Lily, and Katie.

While some have already finished their internship and some are winding down, it has been a delight to see how these students and recent graduates have eagerly stepped into the Alliance’s work. They have spent their summer helping us to further the mission of ending homelessness, and I’m grateful for all their efforts. I know the future of our field is bright.