Our Vision and Work
Housing is an essential need that provides the foundation for people to build their lives, find work, raise the next generation, and age in place.
Our access to housing and the community resources near our homes have been shaped by policies and practices that have harmed and excluded people of color. These inequities continue today while our communities across the country grapple with an affordable housing shortage, weak tenant protections, and increasing corporate consolidation that contribute to displacement and persistent poor housing quality.
Local governments have a critical role in protecting tenants, ensuring their policies and programs preserve and develop housing so that it is accessible for all residents, is resilient and responsive to our changing environment, and contributes to the well-being of our communities and residents throughout its design, construction, and maintenance.
Featured Resources
Stable Rents, Rooted Communities
Rent stabilization policies are essential, common sense solutions to help address the housing crisis and keep people in their homes. This toolkit, developed by Local Progress Impact Lab in partnership with Power Switch Action, breaks down the key components of a rent stabilization policy so you can build a policy that best meets the needs of your community.
FROM HOUSE TO HOME
Local Progress’s new messaging guide provides a framework for how to discuss housing justice issues and rent stabilization based on polling, research, and messaging best practices from local electeds in our network. This introductory level guide provides sample messaging and talking points that can be used with constituents, media, and colleagues on renters rights and rent stabilization policies.
Housing Steering committee
As a membership organization, we believe our work is most impactful when it is informed and guided by members. Bringing a diverse range of expertise and local experience, our Housing Steering Committee advises and shapes our work in this area:
JEREMIAH ELLISON
Minneapolis City Council Member, MN
VANESSA FUENTES
Austin City Council Member, TX
JAMIE GAUTHIER
Philadelphia Councilmember , PA
JOBETH HAMON
Oklahoma City Council Member, OK
MICHELE HIRSCH
Kingston Alderwoman, NY
MITRA JALALI
St. Paul City Councilmember, MN
JAIME KINDER
Meadville Mayor, PA
ROBIN KNIECH
Former Denver City Councilmember, CO
TERESA MOSQUEDA
Seattle City Councilmember , WA
ODETTE RAMOS
Baltimore City Council Member, MD
KIM SMITH
Rochester City Councilmember, NY
Resources
Messaging Guide, Messaging Research
From House to Home: A Rent Stabilization Messaging Guide
Blogs And Featured News
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How Corporate Landlords are Colluding to Hike up Rents – And How Localities Can Fight Back
Across the country, landlords are turning to a new tool to raise rents and further exacerbate the housing crisis: software algorithms. Third party service providers like RealPage offer recommendations to landlords that promise to boost their profits while driving up housing costs. Our new memo explains what rent-setting software algorithms are and how local electeds can take action to protect their communities.
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LPCO Collective Bargaining Workshop
On October 10, 2024, Local Progress’ Colorado chapter hosted a webinar with CWA Local 7 and Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) on the benefits of Collective Bargaining for municipal workers. This workshop was directly related to the November ballot initiative in Denver County, a long fought issue for LPCO members on the Denver City Council.
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S.F. poised to beat Dept. of Justice to the punch, ban rent-fixing software
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance banning rental price fixing. If it’s signed by Mayor London Breed, which seems likely, San Francisco will be the first city in the country with legislation of this kind.
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Good Cause Workshop Recap
On Tuesday, August 20, Local Progress held a virtual Good Cause workshop with coalition partners Housing Justice for All and For The Many. We shared organizing tactics, lessons learned, and strategies on how to replicate these wins across the state. Fresh off their housing victories this summer, we heard from local leaders in Kingston and Albany on how they won Good Cause in their cities.
