Policy decisions at the local, state, and federal levels have profound impacts on homelessness. Effective advocacy can help shape these policies to better address the root causes of homelessness and support evidence-based solutions. This article provides guidance on how to engage in meaningful advocacy that makes a difference.
Understanding the Policy Landscape
Before diving into advocacy, it's important to understand which policies most affect homelessness:
Key Policy Areas
- Housing Policy: Zoning regulations, affordable housing requirements, tenant protections, and housing subsidies
- Homelessness Response: Funding for shelters, outreach, and permanent supportive housing
- Criminal Justice: Laws affecting public space use, citations, and incarceration
- Healthcare: Medicaid expansion, mental health services, and substance use treatment
- Income Support: Minimum wage, unemployment benefits, and cash assistance programs
Decision-Making Bodies
Different levels of government control different aspects of homelessness policy:
- City Councils: Local ordinances, zoning, city budget allocations for homelessness services
- County Commissions: Health and human services funding, jail policies, behavioral health systems
- State Legislatures: Tenant protections, Medicaid policies, state housing trust funds
- Federal Government: HUD funding, federal housing programs, healthcare policy
- Continuum of Care Boards: Local homelessness system governance and federal funding priorities
Start Local
While federal policy is important, local decisions often have the most immediate impact on homelessness in your community. City council and county commission meetings are typically more accessible to community members than state or federal forums.
Evidence-Based Policy Priorities
Effective advocacy focuses on policies with proven track records of reducing homelessness:
Housing-Focused Policies
- Increased Affordable Housing: Support for inclusionary zoning, density bonuses, and affordable housing trust funds
- Tenant Protections: Just cause eviction requirements, rent stabilization, and legal representation for tenants
- Housing First Approaches: Funding for permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing without preconditions
- Flexible Housing Subsidies: Rental assistance programs that bridge the gap between income and housing costs
Prevention-Oriented Policies
- Eviction Prevention: Emergency rental assistance, mediation programs, and eviction diversion
- Discharge Planning: Requirements for hospitals, jails, and foster care to ensure housing upon exit
- Income Supports: Living wage ordinances, expanded cash assistance, and unemployment benefits
- Healthcare Access: Medicaid expansion and integrated behavioral health services
Policies to Oppose
Some policies have been shown to be ineffective or harmful:
- Criminalization Measures: Anti-camping ordinances, sit-lie laws, and panhandling restrictions that punish homelessness without addressing causes
- Program Requirements: Sobriety or treatment requirements as prerequisites for housing
- Shelter-Only Approaches: Investing solely in emergency shelter without pathways to permanent housing
- Involuntary Interventions: Forced treatment or institutionalization without adequate support systems
Practical Advocacy Strategies
Here are concrete ways to engage in effective advocacy:
Engaging with Local Officials
- Attend Public Meetings: City council, county commission, and planning commission meetings often include public comment periods
- Schedule Direct Meetings: Request meetings with elected officials or their staff to discuss specific policy concerns
- Provide Written Input: Submit written comments on proposed policies, budgets, or plans
- Serve on Advisory Boards: Apply for positions on homelessness task forces, housing advisory committees, or continuum of care boards
Effective Testimony
When speaking at public meetings, be concise and specific. Prepare remarks in advance, focus on 1-2 key points, share relevant personal experiences, and always connect your comments to specific policy actions. Most public comment periods are limited to 2-3 minutes per person.
Building Collective Power
Individual advocacy is important, but collective action is more powerful:
- Join Advocacy Organizations: Connect with local housing coalitions, tenant unions, or homelessness advocacy groups
- Organize Neighbors: Build support in your neighborhood for affordable housing and homelessness services
- Form Testimony Panels: Coordinate with others to provide complementary testimony at public hearings
- Amplify Lived Experience: Support leadership and advocacy by people who have experienced homelessness
Communicating Effectively
How you frame issues matters as much as the policies you advocate for:
- Use Person-First Language: Say "people experiencing homelessness" rather than "the homeless"
- Focus on Systems: Emphasize structural causes rather than individual behaviors
- Share Data and Stories: Combine compelling personal stories with research evidence
- Highlight Solutions: Always pair problem descriptions with concrete policy solutions
- Tailor Your Message: Frame issues differently for different audiences based on their values and priorities
Advocacy in Action: Case Studies
These examples illustrate effective advocacy approaches:
Supporting Affordable Housing Development
When a 50-unit affordable housing development faced neighborhood opposition in Portland, Oregon, advocates:
- Organized supportive neighbors to attend planning commission meetings
- Shared data on the community benefits of mixed-income neighborhoods
- Arranged site visits to similar successful developments
- Countered misinformation about property values and crime
The result: The project was approved with strong community support and now houses families who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness.
Opposing Criminalization Ordinances
When a city council proposed new anti-camping ordinances, advocates successfully pushed back by:
- Presenting research on the ineffectiveness and high costs of criminalization
- Bringing formerly homeless residents to testify about their experiences
- Offering alternative approaches focused on outreach and housing
- Building a coalition of service providers, faith communities, and civil rights organizations
The result: The council tabled the ordinance and instead increased funding for outreach teams and rapid re-housing.
Securing Eviction Prevention Funding
Advocates in Minneapolis successfully campaigned for eviction prevention funding by:
- Analyzing eviction data to identify patterns and disparities
- Calculating the public costs of eviction versus prevention
- Building a diverse coalition including landlords, tenants, and service providers
- Proposing a specific funding mechanism and implementation plan
The result: The city established a $3 million annual fund for emergency rental assistance that has prevented hundreds of evictions.
Persistence Pays Off
Policy change rarely happens quickly. Successful advocacy often requires sustained engagement over months or years. Be prepared for setbacks and celebrate incremental victories along the way.
Digital Advocacy Strategies
Online platforms offer additional ways to advocate:
- Social Media Campaigns: Raise awareness about policy issues and mobilize supporters
- Email Campaigns: Coordinate targeted messages to decision-makers at key moments
- Virtual Testimony: Many public meetings now allow remote participation
- Data Visualization: Create shareable graphics that communicate complex housing issues
- Digital Storytelling: Share videos and stories that humanize homelessness
Self-Care for Advocates
Advocacy can be emotionally demanding work:
- Set boundaries on your time and energy
- Celebrate small victories along the way
- Connect with a community of fellow advocates
- Take breaks when needed to prevent burnout
- Remember that systemic change takes time
Conclusion
Effective advocacy for evidence-based homelessness policies is one of the most impactful ways to address homelessness in your community. By understanding the policy landscape, focusing on proven solutions, building collective power, and communicating effectively, you can help create the systemic changes needed to prevent and end homelessness.
Remember that policy change is a marathon, not a sprint. Your consistent engagement, even in small ways, contributes to the broader movement for housing justice and can ultimately help create communities where everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
References & Further Reading
- National Alliance to End Homelessness. "Policy Priorities." National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2024. https://endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/policy/
- National Low Income Housing Coalition. "The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes." NLIHC, 2023. https://nlihc.org/gap
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Continuum of Care Program." HUD Exchange, 2024. https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/
- National Homelessness Law Center. "Housing Not Handcuffs 2021: State Law Supplement." National Homelessness Law Center, 2021. https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs/
- Shinn, M. and Khadduri, J. In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It. Wiley-Blackwell, 2020. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/In+the+Midst+of+Plenty-p-9781118739983
- Fowler, P.J., et al. "Solving Homelessness from a Complex Systems Perspective: Insights for Prevention Responses." Annual Review of Public Health, vol. 40, 2019, pp. 465-486. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013553
- Olivet, J., et al. "Racial Inequity and Homelessness: Findings from the SPARC Study." The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 693, no. 1, 2021, pp. 82-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716221991040
- Kingdon, J.W. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. 2nd ed., Pearson, 2010. https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/agendas-alternatives-and-public-policies/P200000003316