file2941307482066 Speaker shadow

Tired of candidates discussing issues that are not really important to our day-to-day lives?

What could be more important than making sure there is enough housing for everyone across income levels?  Yet the issue of  housing affordability has rarely been a key issue in electoral politics in Virginia and elsewhere in the nation. With the exception of the housing and foreclosure crisis of the 2009 – 2012 period, housing doesn’t often find its way above the fold on the front page of most newspapers. VPLC along with several partners is working to change that.

The Campaign for Housing and Civic Engagement (CHACE) seeks to make housing choice and availability a more prominent issue in the statewide races in Virginia this Fall as well as for the House of Delegates where all 100 seats are on the ballot.  The efforts of the group will be particularly focused on candidate engagement and education. The campaign will be highlighting a wide range of housing issues including affordable rental housing, homelessness, housing for persons with disabilities, inclusionary zoning, housing rehabilitation, accessibility and homeownership.

CHACE also plans to conduct public opinion polling this summer to assess public awareness of housing issues and the level of support for various initiatives.  This polling information will be provided to candidates as part of the effort to educate about the importance of housing choices at varying income levels, to community health and vitality as well as the level of public support for policies that help to ensure that all Virginians have access to good housing at an affordable cost. Public opinion polling will also assess support for residential energy efficiency strategies that can make housing more affordable by lowering the utility bill.   CHACE will also engage in voter registration efforts within communities across the state.  CHACE is non-partisan and will not be endorsing or supporting any candidates.  Rather, the goal of the campaign is to make housing one of the issues that all candidates are talking about this Fall.

To learn more about CHACE, go to https://chaceva.org/