A Research Repository that Empowers Housing Advocacy

As part of our work to expand the capacity of advocates for low income housing, the National Low Income Housing Coalition works with state-level housing and homelessness advocacy organizations to support them in their federal housing advocacy work. One of the most important roles our State Coalition Project plays is in providing our state partners a venue, whether in D.C., in conference calls or online, to share information and exchange ideas about how to do their work.

Often, our state partners themselves suggest ways the Coalition can assist them in expanding their capacity as advocacy organizations. Over the years, our partners have used the Coalition’s state partner listserv to share research and reports they’ve produced on important housing issues in their states. Our research team decided that these reports should have their own place on our website, and the State Internet Research Repository was born.

SIRR includes research reports, white papers and other materials on housing need, the economic impact of housing, homelessness and other relevant issues. Each of them provides good information and can act as a starting point for developing similar work in your own community. Thinking about creating a predatory lending database? Read this report from Illinois on a database pilot project there. Do you work with a tenant council? Learn best practices for creating an elected leadership body in this report from Delaware. Looking for creative ways to present data on housing need? Check out this report from Washington State for inspiration.

We aim for SIRR to showcase research from as many states as possible. Know of a good report to add to the collection? Mention it in the comments.

News Round-Up: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s recent off-mic remark that he might eliminate HUD if elected president sparked much speculation in the news about what would happen if that agency were to disappear. Advocates agree that for the 2.5 million people helped by HUD-administered housing aid, HUD has a very meaningful impact.

Meanwhile, a profile of new NLIHC board member Emma “Pinky” Clifford shows the great need for decent, affordable housing in rural America and on tribal lands.

Of about 3,000 homes in Shannon County on the reservation in 2010, nearly 400 did not have full plumbing, and 330 did not have full kitchens, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than half of the homes — 1,875 — used some form of bottled gas for heat, and only 681 homes were connected to electric or utility gas heat. Most of the homes were worth about $18,600, according to the Census Bureau, and 54 percent of Shannon County residents lived below the poverty level.

Even when the need is so great, and the obstacles to meeting it can be so challenging, Pinky says she remains undaunted. “‘I love housing,’ she said. ‘It’s hard work, but when you see people in homes, and they’re in a safe and affordable home … it’s worth it.’”