Since the beginning of the Civil Rights movement, voter engagement efforts have played a vital role in our democratic process. Unfortunately, both low-income and minority citizens have historically been and remain underrepresented in the electoral process. In fact, only 33% of the low-income population in the U.S. is registered to vote, and of those who are registered to vote, only 40% exercise this right. By encouraging more low-income citizens to register to vote and exercise their right, we can ensure that the voices of all, including our most vulnerable citizens, are reflected in major public policy decisions.

Virginia Housing Alliance (VHA) in partnership with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), will host a two-part training series on organizing and/or participating in Get Out To Vote (GOTV) drives within low-income housing communities throughout the Commonwealth. The first half of the training will be a one hour webinar on May 8th where participants will be able to learn how to connect with non-partisan organizations to engage in GOTV efforts without endangering 501(c)3 non-profit status. This webinar will serve as a GOTV 101 for all housing and homeless service providers who would like to get their residents and clients registered and actively voting.

The webinar will be followed up with a more in-depth panel discussion on June 14th, 2018 from 9:30am – 11:30am at the Westin Richmond as the Pre-Luncheon Forum at Virginia Housing Alliance’s Annual Awards Luncheon.

The webinar and pre-luncheon panel will include:

• Teresa Santalucia of Klein Hornig, who will provide legal expertise on what types of civic and advocacy related activities in which non-profits can engage

• Melissa Bondi from Enterprise Community Partners, who will provide insights on engaging low-income communities to organize and engage in voter registration and GOTV efforts with highlights from a field case study

• Victoria Bouret of National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), who will provide an overview of NLIHC’s focus this year on mobilizing GOTV efforts within low-income communities

• Jose Quinonez of Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), who will share APAH’s experience as a landlord in actively facilitating and hosting GOTV engagement activities with low-income resident in their community

• Kim Phillip of the Arlington Chapter of the NAACP, who will provide an overview of the ways in which organizations can partner with their local NAACP affiliates to get low-income residents register, and active in voting.

Webinar access information will be sent via email upon registration. For more information on this webinar or to register, visit the event webpage here.

Milton Bailey, Director, Frederick County Department of Housing and Community Development

HAND: What recent accomplishment(s) is your organization extraordinarily proud of?
FC: A recent accomplishment for which we are extremely proud was our successful partnering with United Way of Frederick toward helping more people become homeowners.  As a result of our partnership, we were able to establish a program that has the potential of becoming a national best practice.  By leveraging our down payment and closing cost assistance with the United Way’s Prosperity Center programs, we are able to offer the Prosperity Savings Homebuyer Program.  This program offers a combination of zero-interest loans and grant funds to help first-time homebuyers pay for upfront costs and make consistent mortgage payments on their new homes. Specifically, the new program increases the income threshold for prospective participants based on the “survival budget” determined in the 2016 ALICE Report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) by the United Ways of Maryland.  Equally important, the United Way offers up to $3,400 in foreclosure prevention assistance for a period of three years. I believe the industry will come to realize this combination makes for stronger and more creditworthy borrowers.

HAND: Have you run into any challenges over the last several months? How did you and your team overcome them?
FC: There are many challenges related to the preservation and production of housing.  However, the challenges and barriers our communities face today are no more daunting than they were 35 years ago.  This is because dedicated professionals find creative ways of overcoming obstacles. I have no doubt, given our State’s leadership, diversity of advocates and the elevated public awareness generated by these supporters, we will indeed find ways to overcome any present-day challenges.

HAND: What lesson(s) did you learn?
FC: The lessons we learned are as simple as not taking defeat as a setback but an opportunity to evolve the discussion to where it resonates with even the most cynical.

HAND: What are you and your colleagues looking forward to?
FC: We are looking forward to the day when parochial beliefs give way to bilateral effort.

HAND: What do you enjoy most about your work and why?
FC: My work is my religion.  I’m trying to make sure the next baby Jesus doesn’t have to live in a cattle stall.

HAND: What do you wish that you could change about our industry?
FC: I think it is critical that we (HUD, the IRS and Congressional policy makers) stop viewing housing cost burdens in isolation of the overall cost of living.  While intuitively inseparable, by viewing the cost of housing in isolation of the cost of living, the two conspire to become negatives that impinge upon actual wealth building— and thereby a community’s economic growth.

Take the purchase of an automobile for example.  When we buy a car, we instinctively think in the narrow context of whether or not the car payment will fit within our monthly budget.  Rarely do we consider the cost of insurance, gas, oil, windshield washer fluid, maintenance, parking, traffic tickets and other budget consuming incidentals that go along with owning the vehicle.  The same is true when it comes to purchasing a home or living in an apartment.  Our families still need to eat, student loans still need to be paid and we still need to save for that unexpected family crisis or unforeseen medial expense.

Yet, because housing costs and the cost of survival are compartmentalized, our public policies inadvertently create financial imbalances that discourage wealth accumulation and encourage poverty.  For example, when housing cost burdens are paired with ALICE report data, neither a family nor an individual can earn or save enough to meet housing costs, cover basic needs or stay ahead of inflation to avail themselves of the very educational opportunities that would pave the way to wealth building.

Life-costs, student loan expenses, the absence of equitable wages and support structures trigger financial disintegration even within families earning $75,700.  Yet, neither under HUD’s housing programs nor under the IRS’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs can ALICE families or individuals in search of the full measure of the American Dream (food, shelter, clothing, education, health insurance, child care, savings, etcetera) avail themselves of the lower cost of housing these programs offer under current income limits.  Consequentially, the American Dream becomes an illusion only the wealthy can afford.

Each of us have a stake in addressing cost burdens, especially when considering the social consequences caused by stifling poverty.  From a balance sheet perspective, if people who are destined to spend more than they earn do not receive help, then foreclosures and rental unit turnovers will occur more frequently, with such instances leading to increased operating costs and thereby escalating rents and mortgage costs.

HAND: If you could describe your work in one word, what would it be?
FC: Great!