Campaign Underway with Local Elected Officials

We need your help! You are encouraged to sign the same "Housing Not Handcuffs" pledge that Montco 30% and Habitat for Humanity are circulating among Montgomery County's municipal elected officials.

It is imperative that townships, boroughs, and cities in Pennsylvania take the lead in addressing our housing crisis. Check out the pledge below and sign using this Google Form.

While you're here, consider registering for a virtual meeting on August 1 to strategize and collaborate with several advocacy organizations following the disappointing and inhumane SCOTUS decision on Grants Pass.

The pledge below was modified from the version circulated by the National Homelessness Law Center.

I believe all people deserve a safe and decent place to call home. Homelessness is not a crime, it's a crisis. That's why I pledge to support solutions that:  

Stop Criminalizing Homelessness:

• In the absence of better options, public spaces should be legally available for life-sustaining activities like sleeping, eating, and seeking shelter.

• People experiencing homelessness shouldn't be harassed or criminalized for simply existing.

Prevent Unjust Evictions:

• Housing shouldn't be denied because of past homelessness, credit history, or income source.

• Everyone deserves a fair chance to secure stable housing.

• Evictions should only happen for just cause, with legal representation available to fight them.

Increase Access to Affordable Housing:

• Housing costs should not consume more than 30% of someone's income. This is why multi-family construction should be encouraged. We have a shortage of 200,000 to 400,0000 units across the state for low-to-moderate renters, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

• We need policies like a higher minimum wage, universal vouchers, and rent control to make housing truly affordable. Elected officials at the local, county, state, and federal levels all have an individual responsibility to act and develop affordable housing solutions.  

• Vacant properties should be utilized to create more housing options.

• Zoning restrictions shouldn't stand in the way of building affordable housing. Planning commissions and zoning boards at all levels have an individual responsibility to prioritize housing affordability in their development plans and recommendations, including proposing updates to local codes.

Together, we can end homelessness and build a community where everyone has a place to belong.