Grant’s Pass: Let’s Not Put Housing on the Back Burner

On June 28, in its ruling on Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court made the decision to allow people sleeping outside to be arrested or ticketed. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s statement on the decision is reflective of the disappointment that Connections for the Homeless and so many others have with the decision. We urge you to read it if you have not followed this issue.

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It’s been a month since the ruling, and the furor has died down. However, our community still includes people searching for a safe and legal place to sleep. And there are neither enough units of housing they can afford, nor enough shelter beds for them to use while they are seeking housing. Connections for the Homeless is continuing to provide shelter and services, and Joining Forces for Affordable Housing, Connections’ advocacy program, continues to advocate for affordable housing. And we need your help, now and for the long-term effort it will take to address the housing crisis. 

One reaction to the Grants Pass decision has been to issue calls to action. Joining Forces is also asking current and would-be advocates to consider what action they can take—not just expressing displeasure with the Supreme Court’s decision, but incorporating advocacy as a part of your plan for the year.  

Things you can do: 
 
Read: Subscribe to newsletters and journals to learn more about what is being done around the country to address the housing crisis and get ideas for what could be done in our region. Even if you don’t have time to dig in, scanning through the titles of the articles will be enlightening. 

Affordable Housing Publications

•  Shelterforce
• Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies
• Housing Matters: an Urban Institute Initiative
• Housing Action Illinois
• The National Low Income Housing Coalition
• The Criminalization of Homelessness in the U.S. (Joining Forces blog post)
  

Host a Workshop: Community education is a big part of the solution, since the solutions are complex and often controversial. Joining Forces has Affordable Housing 101 and Advocacy 101 workshops ready to go, and we are happy to do specialized new workshops and to tailor what we have to your needs and interests. Send a note to [email protected] for information on next steps. 
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Sign Up for Our Newsletters and Calls to Action: Joining Forces works on affordable housing advocacy throughout northern Cook County and Lake County. You can get the most current information on our efforts and campaigns by signing up for our newsletter. Enter your email address and agree to receiving marketing and promotional materials below to subscribe. 

​Meet with Us: We would love to get to know you better and learn about your skills and interests, and we’d love for you to get to know us better and see if you’d like to engage with any of our committees or projects. You can also come to group meetings that we have regularly. These are announced in our newsletter.  

Donate: Donations to Connections for the Homeless support all the work the agency does, including the advocacy work of Joining Forces for Affordable Housing. Joining Forces uses funding to support trips to Springfield, training for advocates, engagement in advocacy by people with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability, research, and many other activities. You can donate here.
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If you’d like to get involved or have any questions, please send a note to [email protected]. We welcome your new, continued, and/or increased engagement with affordable housing advocacy!