Affordable Housing is on the Ballot

There are many ways to help advance affordable homeownership. If you are familiar with our work at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, you probably know about the vital role that volunteers play in helping build Habitat homes. However, the opportunities to help advance our work are endless, one of which is coming up in November. Voting, and engaging in this year’s elections, is an easy and effective way to pursue progress in housing.

A systemic issue

Housing is both an individual and a systemic issue. Families who partner with Habitat work tirelessly to qualify for a mortgage, complete financial and homebuyer education, and achieve homeownership. But when we look at the bigger picture, the affordable housing crisis is larger than what one person can tackle. Record levels of renters in America are considered cost-burdened, and rising costs of homeownership make leaving the rental market feel out of reach for many. Black households face even more barriers in housing, and in Minnesota, we have the nation’s largest homeownership gap between white and black households. It’s clear that affordable housing is a systemic issue and a policy choice that we need our elected leaders to prioritize.

Lawmakers impact housing in a variety of ways. They can advance or hold up legislation that impacts homeowners, and they can work to decrease, maintain, or increase vital funding sources used to produce and preserve affordable housing. These programs exist at all levels of government, and as such, Habitat relies on our partnerships with many elected officials to do our work. This is why it is so important to elect candidates who understand the importance of investing in affordable housing and will act on it once in office. While lawmakers decide how resources are prioritized in our communities, voters decide who will represent them as lawmakers. As coined by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “Affordable homes are built with ballots every bit as much as they are built with bricks and drywall."

Local officials attended Twin Cities Habitat's groundbreaking at The Heights in St. Paul, which will bring up to 147 Habitat homes to the East Side. From left to right: MN Representative Liz Lee, MN Senator Foung Hawj, Twin Cities Habitat President & CEO Chris Coleman, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, US Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong.

Helping advance other issues down the ballot

Voters often feel they need to choose a few key issues to prioritize when picking candidates and voting. Luckily, affordable housing doesn’t make you choose. We know that when we invest in housing and homeownership, the effects go far beyond your home. Affordable homeownership is associated with better health outcomes, children doing better in school, residents feeling safer in their homes, people feeling more connected and involved in their community, and financial stability that expands through generations.

Additionally, affordable housing and environmental sustainability go hand in hand. The Heights development, for example, is on track to be one of the most energy-efficient developments in Minnesota’s history. We are embedding green building into every part of the project, from air-source heat pumps and energy-efficient appliances to solar and geothermal energy.

For these reasons and more, housing is known as a foundation not only for families but for entire communities. Its intersection with health, education, employment, equity, and the environment means that by voting for home, we are investing in sustainable, resilient communities that benefit us all.

How to Vote for Home

So, we know that housing is a voter issue, but how do we actually prioritize it on the ballot? With so many offices up for election this year, it can be tough to keep track of which candidates value affordable housing in a way that matters.

The best way to know is by engaging with them. When a candidate or their campaign staff knocks on your door, use it as an opportunity to ask them about housing! You don’t have to be an expert on affordable homeownership and can even use the questions in our Candidate Conversation Guide to help facilitate the conversation.

Another key part of voting for home is being informed on elections generally. Check out our Elections Resource Center to find everything you need to know about when, where, and how to vote. Even if this isn’t your first election, it’s helpful to keep track of dates and find resources to share with family and friends. The election is less than 80 days away, so now is the time to help spread the word!

Want to engage with elections even further? We are excited to be offering a Voter 101 session with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. This free, online webinar will prepare you to vote, from registration to casting your ballot. This is a great opportunity not only for first-time voters, but also those who want to find information that they can pass on to others to help get the vote out and learn about updates to Minnesota’s elections. Join us at 7:00 p.m. on September 12!

In the meantime, make sure you are registered to vote, check out your sample ballot, and use it to research your candidates. And lastly, sign up for advocacy action alerts to stay involved!