U.S. Poverty Weekly Update June 4, 2019
Quote of the Week
“For those of us who can return home to a warm, comfortable abode each evening, the growing housing problem seems remote.”
– RESULTS Bremerton, WA volunteer Donna Munro in a May 28 letter to the editor in The Astorian
Got Two Minutes (and 58 more)? Join Tonight’s National Webinar with Dr. Hahrie Han
Tonight, June 4 at 8:00 pm ET, is our monthly RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar. This is a special webinar as we will have Dr. Hahrie Han, PhD as our guest speaker. Ms. Han is a political scientist, author, and speaker who has written extensively about how volunteer organizations successfully engage in civic action. Her 2014 book, How Organizations Develop Activists: Civic Associations and Leadership in the 21st Century, which includes many practices RESULTS uses, is a great resource for understanding how to organize people into action. We are thrilled to have her share her findings with us. Tonight’s webinar also falls during the 2019 Our Homes, Our Voices Week of Action (May 30-June 5) and is listed as one of the events for the week. We will update you on what’s happening on Congress on housing and preview the next phase of our housing campaign – building support for a renters’ tax credit. You’ll also hear the latest about the RESULTS International Conference and other great things happening at RESULTS. Please join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to join and stay for the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar tonight, June 4 at 8:00 pm ET. Join online at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial in by phone at either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801). If you login online, please list both your first and last names when prompted. Be sure to remind your groups and action networks of the webinar. The slides for the webinar will be available later today on the National Webinars page. If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn.
Note: We will have a larger crowd than normal on this webinar so join no later than 7:55 pm ET so you’re logged in and ready to go.
Got Ten Minutes? Invite Others to Join Tonight’s Webinar as Part of Housing Week of Action
Millions of families struggle each day to put a roof over their head, yet there is a complete lack of urgency in Congress to address this problem. The Our Homes, Our Voices Week of Action (May 30-June 5) is a nationwide push to raise awareness of America’s housing crisis. As mentioned above, tonight’s National Webinar is part of the Week of Action. We’re using the webinar to educate people about actions they can take to expand access to safe, affordable housing. In addition, Hahrie Han will share about how local organizations can best organize people into action around the issues they care about. It is a great opportunity to seasoned advocates and new people to learn, train, and act. As a part of the Week of Action, our webinar is open to anyone who wants to participate. Use it to engage people in your community by inviting them to join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to invite people to tonight’s U.S. Poverty Webinar as part of the Housing Week of Action. Copy the RESULTS entry at the bottom of the Week of Action Events page into an e-mail and send it to your local action networks, friends and family, and others you know. If you are gathering as a group to listen to the webinar, invite them to join you. If you are listening on your own, send them the link to log in. Be sure to follow up afterward to see what they thought of it. You can also use our new housing slides (PPT or PDF), housing one-pager (Word or PDF), and updated Laser Talk to educate people about housing issues.
Got Twenty Minutes? Generate Letters to Deliver in Lobby Meetings (June Action)
Building on your community outreach to local allies in May (which you should most definitely continue), flex your formidable organizing skills this month to generate letters that can be hand-delivered in lobby meetings at the RESULTS International Conference (July 13-16) and/or at home during the July 4th or August recesses. Letter-writing is an old school method of advocacy, but one that still works. The time and effort put into writing a letter reminds members of Congress of your commitment to the issue and to holding them accountable.
For these letters, we’re turning our attention to longer-term and more impactful policies that will help Americans struggling to find housing. A renters’ tax credit would provide renters assistance that is currently absent from the U.S. tax code (as opposed to homeowners, who get a lot of help). With several proposals already in Congress, a renters’ credit would basically serve as a cap on the amount of rent and utilities a low-income household would pay (around 30 percent of their income). Renters would get a federal tax credit up to 100% of the area’s Fair Market Rent value, thus helping more families find safe, affordable places to live. With letters, you educate members of Congress and help build support for bold tax policies that help address the housing crisis. Get started now.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to read the June Action and start making a list of people you can ask to write housing letters with you. Think about the people and groups you regularly interact with. Who could you ask to write letters with you? At your book club, with your faith community, coffee with friends, watching the big game are all opportunities to write letters. The June Action has tips how to best reach people. Also, page 2 of the Action can be printed and given to people to write their letters; it includes background info on the renters’ credit and talking points for a letter. If you have questions or need help, please contact Jos Linn.
New RESULTS Conference Resources Available
Six weeks from today hundreds of RESULTS advocates will be on Capitol Hill meeting with congressional offices about the importance of ending poverty. Don’t you want to be one of them? Then join us for the RESULTS International Conference, July 13-16 in Washington, DC. Register today! And remember, if you are a current, active RESULTS volunteer and need assistance with travel costs to the RESULTS International Conference, apply for Gap Funding.
One of the great things you get at the Conference is in-depth background and support on the issues that you can then share with lawmakers. For example, a new study our from the Federal Reserve Board shows that nearly 40 percent of 11,000 surveyed could not afford a $400 expense with cash or savings. This underscores the importance of wealth building, and why RESULTS is focused on creating awareness and working to close the racial wealth divide. To prepare for these ongoing conversations at the Conference, start diving into our briefings on Racial Wealth Inequality adapted from the amazing work of last-year’s Emerson Hunger Fellow, Funke Aderonmu. Plus, watch this panel from the Brookings Institution on recommendations for closing the racial wealth divide.
Quick News
Join Webinar on HUD Housing Rule. HUD has proposed a new rule that would prohibit “mixed immigration status” households from participating in housing assistance programs. Advocates are hosting a webinar tomorrow, June 5 at 3:00 pm ET to provide an overview of the rule, discuss HUD data regarding mixed-status families, and provide resources to oppose the rule. Register here. You can also stand for keeping families together by submitting your comment opposing the rule today.
Tell Trump Administration to Stop Shrinking the Poverty Line. The Trump Administration has announced its desire to change the way poverty is calculated in the US, which could reduce or eliminate various benefits for families. Send a quick letter telling the Administration to stop shrinking the poverty line.
Thank You for Helping Us Meet the Match. Good news! As part of our Spring Friends and Family Fundraising Campaign, you helped us exceed the $10,000 match! We’ve raised $15,408 so far. Thank you for helping us secure the funds we need to continue this important work. You can still participate or donate today.
Nominate a Journalist for the Cameron Duncan Award. RESULTS is now accepting 2019 Cameron Duncan Media Award nominations for outstanding work on issues related to poverty by a journalist or editor. Nominations are due this Friday, June 7.
Nominate Someone for the Bob Dickerson Award. For more than 15 years, Bob Dickerson of Seattle was an inspiring RESULTS grassroots volunteer leader. At the Conference, we seek to honor his spirit by recognizing volunteers who are following in his footsteps. Nominate a fellow advocate for the Bob Dickerson Grassroots Leadership Award today (due Friday, June 22).
Upcoming Events
Thursday, May 30 – Wednesday, June 5: Our Homes, Our Voices Housing Week of Action. Learn more at: www.ourhomes-ourvoices.org.
Tuesday, June 4: RESULTS National Webinar with Hahrie Han, 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801. Find recordings and slides from previous webinars on the National Webinars page.
Tuesday, June 11 (12:00pm ET) and Wednesday, June 19 (8:30pm ET), RESULTS New Advocate Orientation. Get started at: https://results.salsalabs.org/volunteer/index.html.
Tuesday, June 18, U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 324 294 681.
Saturday, July 13-Tuesday, July 16, 2019: RESULTS International Conference. Register today at www.resultsconference.org!
Find other events on the RESULTS Events Calendar.
Other Resources
Learn more about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.
Report lobby meetings in our Lobby Report Form and report any published media in our Grassroots Media Form.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports (our new digital 2018 Annual Report is now available).
RESULTS Staff directory.