Visioning Statement

We believe that fundamental human needs create human rights obligations on the part of the government, as well as the private and service sectors.  Housing has been a recognized fundamental social good in our nation and, globally, a human right, and we believe there is no excuse in our well-resourced nation for homelessness and inadequate housing conditions.

Through the human rights framework, we recognize that the various housing issues we are dealing with locally are the direct result of our national housing and economic policies and therefore fundamentally inter-connected.  Whether we are dealing with public or subsidized housing, homelessness, foreclosures, overcrowding, substandard living conditions or predatory redevelopment, we all have an interest in the right to housing as a holistic issue we collectively confront.  Furthermore, we appreciate the link between the long-standing affordable housing struggle faced by many of us and the struggles faced by the newly-impacted during the recent economic and foreclosure crises.

We also fundamentally believe that solutions must come from people directly affected and that these people must have their voices heard through real participatory processes.  All of our work must be anchored in the needs, experiences and leadership of our most vulnerable community members.