Morris Habitat Advocacy Mission
2023 Advocacy Agenda
Advocacy
Over 35 years, Habitat partners, donors and volunteers have built, rehabbed, or repaired more than 600 homes for over 2,000 people around the greater Morris County area as well as in places around the world. But the crushing need for safe, adequate, and affordable shelter continues to grow.
In response to this need, we need to challenge the systems that cause poverty housing, in addition to building new homes.
We need to embrace a call to action to put shelter on the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Our grassroots base of tens of thousands of people can support these efforts. With our encouragement, they can be moved to take up the pen and lift their voices—as well as their hammers—to eliminate the cause of substandard housing.
Morris Habitat has been committed to ensuring families have access to affordable homes for decades. We recognize that we must continually work to create an enabling policy environment to realize our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
In addition to our direct construction and renovation work in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable shelter, we have the ability – and, now more than ever, the responsibility – to promote concrete, practical public policy housing solutions, ensuring that more families can find appropriate, quality, affordable housing in New Jersey and across the U.S. As leaders with tremendous housing knowledge and experience, we advocate for a broad range of public policies. Read more here.
Our partners in advocacy
- Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey
- Housing Alliance of Morris County
- Habitat for Humanity affiliates of New Jersey
- Mobilization – volunteers, faith community, Habitat campus chapters
- Habitat for Humanity International Office of Government Relations and Advocacy
- New Jersey Together
Advocacy activities
- Launched a new organization of nonprofits and religious organizations in Morris County called Morris Area Together to advocate for Housing, Mental Health and Criminal Justice reform
- Habitat on the Hill – February
- HCDN-NJ Legislative Day – June
- Hammer for Change event – elected officials kick off for #CostofHome campaign
- Education and information of staff, board, volunteers, supporters
Resources
How does Homeownership contribute to wealth building? Read more here:
Your Voice Matters –
Ways to Take Action:
1.Subscribe to our Advocacy Communications
Knowledge is power and the first step to becoming an advocate is to stay informed. Click the button below to subscribe to our Advocacy Communications and learn about housing reform.
2. Support the creation of a Homeless Trust Fund
Add your signature below to protect the right of shelter to everyone !
3. Save HUD funding.
Call, write, or visit your member of Congress today. Tell them that Congress has an important opportunity to make a difference in supporting low income families. They can provide affordable housing and homeownership opportunities through sound policies, access to mortgage capital and smart tax reform.
Ask them to ensure that tax reform does not undermine access to adequate affordable housing or nonprofits’ ability to meet critical human needs.
4. Volunteer to help Build a Thriving New Jersey.
Work to get your municipal, county and state legislators to endorse the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s campaign. If we build homes we can afford, and revitalize the communities where we work and live, we can Build a Thriving New Jersey. Our families, friends and neighbors are the heart of our state and the backbone of our economy. If we can’t afford to live here, we can’t get our economy back on track.