What Advocates Need to Know

The topic of affordable housing can be overwhelming, and its complexity can be a barrier for people who are considering becoming advocates. However, advocates do NOT need to know all the details—the many varieties of programs to create affordability, how new housing is financed, the ins and outs of zoning, etc. This type of knowledge can be helpful and can come with time and work. But it’s not necessary before one can become an effective advocate.

​However, basic knowledge about the following topics IS important for advocates to develop over time:

• What affordable housing actually is
• How serious the lack of affordable housing is
• What the impact of not having affordable housing is on individuals and communities
• What the benefits of affordable housing are
• What the barriers are to creating more affordability
• What you can do through advocacy to remove those barriers

These are the topics of the workshops that Joining Forces for Affordable Housing is offering several times in November and December and monthly after that. Please see below for workshop descriptions and schedules. Each workshop is one hour on Zoom.

Additionally, Joining Forces would be happy to do any of these on demand, as well as to provide other workshops if you are interested in learning more about common objections to affordable housing, how housing is developed and paid for, etc.

Affordable Housing 101
This workshop helps advocates develop the knowledge they need to participate comfortably in discussions about affordable housing. It covers:

• Definitions of affordability
• Terminology such as AMI (Area Median Income)
• What is affordable for people at different income levels
• Definitions of housing cost burden
• The impact of housing cost burden on individuals, children, and the community at large
• How big the need is in Evanston and surrounding municipalities

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Advocacy 101
Advocacy 101 zooms in on the types of change we need to make so that everyone can have a home they can afford. It helps advocates determine what types of advocacy will best fit with their interests, skills, and schedules. It covers:

• Definitions of advocacy
• What kinds of systems change are needed to create enough affordable housing
• How systems change happens
• Barriers to progress
• Types and levels of affordable housing advocacy
• How you can be an advocate

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Mobilization 101
In this workshop, advocates learn more about the specific ways they can incorporate advocacy into their lives using the tools and communications that Joining Forces provides to the Mobilization Team. It will prepare advocates to prepare for and respond to call to action to make change. It covers:

• How political will (or the lack of it) impacts the success of efforts to increase affordability
• Definition of mobilization and what it means for advocates
• Ways advocates can mobilize for change through acting, educating, and bearing witness
• Joining Forces tools for mobilization
• How to respond to Calls for Action
• Keys to success as an advocate

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Calendar and Registration

• Visit our Workshops page to register for a workshop.
• If you are a Joining Forces members, you can also register for a workshop on VolunteerHub. ​To become a Joining Forces member, fill out our Membership Form.

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