From March 25-27, CPD affiliates from across the country came together to strategize and unify the vision for CPD Housing Justice Campaigns at the local, national, and federal levels. CPD affiliates ACCE (CA), Make the Road Nevada, Good Jobs Now (MI), Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (IL), CASA (DC), Organize Florida, New York Communities for Change, Churches United for Fair Housing (NY), Make the Road New York, SPACES, Maryland Communities United, MHAction (National), and Action NC convened to share victories and strategies for building power around housing justice and create alignment for a federal housing justice strategy.

Affiliates shared their experiences organizing for rent control and tenant protections in California, New York, and Illinois, winning affordable housing resources in North Carolina, and launching Renters Rights and Eliminating Preemption on tenant protections campaigns in Florida and Nevada. Further, affiliates and CPD staff held trainings on Legislative Advocacy, Organizing Tenant Unions, Direct Action against Corporate Landlords, Building a Housing Narrative and Messaging, and Corporate Landlord Research, drawing on their experience and expertise from their on the ground experience.

Together, we developed a vision for Housing Justice campaigns across the CPD Network aimed at decommodifying housing, ending housing insecurity, politicizing affordable housing and tenant protections in local elections, and addressing the racist legacy of the housing market. Affiliates members participated in a story bank on their own housing experience and how they are organizing for housing justice in their communities and together.

After strategizing together, affiliates visited Capitol Hill to lobby their respective representatives for a bold housing justice platform that includes universal rent control and expanded tenant protections, deep investment in low-income and public housing, and increased oversight over corporate and private equity landlords.