Our Vision
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Joining Forces for Affordable Housing envisions a community where affordable housing is not only welcomed but demanded by the community and prioritized and integrated into all levels of community planning, development, and provision of services, so that everyone has housing that meets their basic needs.
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Advocacy Principles
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The key principles under which Joining Forces operates are as follows: |
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Housing Is a Basic Human Right:
The ability to obtain and sustain housing that is safe, stable, and affordable is central to any person’s existence and well-being; safe, stable, and affordable housing is a necessity for all members of any household to reach their full potential as human beings. |
Housing Must Take Precedence:
The right to affordable housing should take precedence over competing claims for resources when there is debate over priorities. Affordable housing contributes to the greater good and should prevail over hyper-local preferences and resistance to change. |
Density Is Essential:
Residential density (meaning more units per square acre) is necessary in suburban communities to increase affordability, social and health supports, racial justice, access to public transportation, environmental sustainability, and economic development. |
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Zoning Must Address Affordability and Racial Equity:
The current character of the municipalities in our region includes gross inequities which are supported by restrictive zoning codes focused more on property values than on the wellbeing of its residents. Zoning throughout the region must be reformed to remove barriers to affordability and to eliminate racial and socio-economic segregation. |
Affordable Housing Doesn’t Happen without Planning:
Naturally occurring affordable housing for low- and middle-income households is nearly non-existent in our region and cannot evolve organically because of market forces and NIMBY-ism. Municipalities, counties, and regions need to have affordable housing plans in place that link to state and federal plans and include quantifiable goals and deliberate strategies for funding, community input, and accountability. |
All Sectors of the Community Should Have Input:
Decisions on affordable housing, including overall plans and individual developments, must include input on needs from all sectors of the community. A neighborhood’s capacity and appetite to accommodate increased density must be balanced with the needs of the community at large and its overall affordable housing plans and goals. |
Staff
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Nathaniel Hagemaster,
Communications Specialist |
Sue Loellbach,
Manager of Advocacy |
Michael Mallory,
Chief Government Relations Officer |
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Rodney Orr,
Community Organizer |
Max Seeley,
Advocacy and Government Grants Coordinator |
Emma Yarger,
Community Outreach Coordinator |
