Advocating for Change: Affordable Housing

With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic far extending past the tragic losses of loved ones and members of our communities over the past year and a half, it is an important time to examine where our country falls short on supporting its citizens. Families across the country have suffered financial impacts as a result of the pandemic, having lost jobs or not receiving enough to live off of in loans, unemployment or stimulus checks.

I am calling for change, requesting a jolt in action to make an amendment to The National Affordable Housing Act. Eligibility requirements for affordable housing programs pose obstacles to many individuals who need these programs most; eligibility requirements look at income and employment as factors to be recipients of affordable housing but do not consider student debt, medical bills, or other personal finances that impact income. An individual can have what appears on paper to be reasonable to their geography, but if they have essential medical expenses like insulin, cancer treatments or emergency surgery, student loans or childcare costs, their income can easily be much less than it appears.

In regards to recent times, the coronavirus pandemic has certainly increased the necessity to make changes to the NAHA. The pandemic is estimated to have pushed as many as 150 thousand Americans into poverty and nearly ten percent of the world's population to fall into extreme poverty. As a social worker, it is my responsibility to advocate for social justice, as it is highlighted in the National Social Worker Association's Code of Ethics, and I believe it was the true intention of the NAHA to help advocate for social justice as well. The goals of the NAHA are clearly stated within the act, clearly stating its intentions are to help individuals with lower incomes to be capable of purchasing a home, ensure that every American citizen has a safe place to live. While these goals speak to an American I wish to live in, it is not be manifested in our current reality. It is time we make adjustments, re-evaluate the population needing assistance and how to establish better outreach and eligibility.

I am sharing to gather support in my endeavors for creating a policy change on a national level. There are many steps in this process, but gathering public support and spreading the word is a great place to start! You can support by signing the petition linked below and sharing the link to social media, using the hashtag #AmmendTheNAHA to help spread the word.

Thank you in advance for your support! In the future, any updates will be shared through the petition description.

Creating social change is rarely quick or easy, but is a responsibility we ALL share.

To better understand how this intended change advocates for social justice, stay up to date with our socials (@anamesaonline) to see updates and information relevant to amending The NAHA.

For an understanding of social stratification, and how affordable housing programs further the divide amongst social classes, you can read the full article to the excerpt below, specifically discussing social stratification and the damaging effects it has on society:

"Social stratification is the way society categorizes its people into socioeconomic strata, based on factors of their occupation, wealth, income, and either social status or any form of derived power (“Sociologists,” n.d.) Social stratification sets limits and boundaries on what certain groups of people or societies have access to, including healthcare and education, both which are essential components of one’s well-being. Sociologists have recognized that stratification is a society wide system which makes inequalities present in a given society especially apparent. Social stratification peaks a special interest in sociology because of the fact it represents a larger social pattern."