Raise our voices
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Join the movement of Habitat supporters advocating for affordable homeownership and building stronger communities in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and throughout the nation
In our region and across the country, there is a severe shortage of affordable homes that is making homeownership out of reach for millions of families and first-time homebuyers. Decades of discriminatory housing policies and practices have also prevented poor families, especially Black and other families of color, from owning a decent home where they can build stability and wealth.
Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia (Habitat DC-NOVA) believes that everyone deserves a safe, decent and affordable place to live. In order to achieve that goal, we support a healthy housing continuum with a wide variety of tools and public policy solutions to increase housing opportunity across the spectrum of housing needs. Our role within the housing continuum is to help families create stability and intergenerational wealth by expanding homeownership opportunities.
Here in the nation’s capital, volunteers have a unique opportunity to be a hands-on advocate for Habitat DC-NOVA at the local, state and national levels. Advocates support Habitat DC-NOVA’s work by urging elected officials and community members in D.C., Virginia, and our federal government to support policies that increase the supply, accessibility and resilience of affordable homes.
© Habitat for Humanity International/Raymond McCrea Jones
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is a power tool in driving change in our communities. Through advocacy, we can support and promote causes we care about.
At Habitat, we advocate to change policies and systems to eliminate barriers to affordable housing. In addition to swinging our hammers, we have the ability to promote sustainable and inclusive policy solutions by lifting our voices.
The policy platform below presents an actionable public policy agenda for achieving our vision. We believe that increasing affordable homeownership supply, ensuring equitable homeownership access, and improving homeownership resilience will make lasting, affordable homeownership attainable for all.
We advocate for:
- Supply: Expanding homeownership opportunities requires an increase in the number of affordable homes for sale. We do this by:
- Streamlining housing development approval processes, reducing zoning barriers, and expanding access to development sites to increase housing supply, especially for affordable housing
- Providing financial supports for affordable homeownership development and preservation
- Adopting complimentary measures to zoning reforms that ensure equitable zoning outcomes, prevent displacement, and actively engage historically excluded communities
- Access: Everyone deserves a fair chance a purchasing a home, building wealth and securing their family’s future. We do this by:
- Increasing subsidies for first-time and first-time generation homeowners, especially for low-income communities and historically disadvantaged communities
- Evaluating and reform government programs and policies that create or reinforce barriers to homeownership
- Expanding access to safe credit products
- Increasing education on how to have good credit
- Increasing financial and homeowner education programs and resources
- Resilience: Helping individuals and families stay in their homes and retain homeownership provides many benefits. We do this by:
- Ensuring property taxes are equitable for low-income homeowners
- Supporting home repair and modification programs, resources and policies that improve stability for existing homeowners
- Ensuring homes are environmentally sustainable and disaster resilient
- Enhancing foreclosure or home loss prevention tools
- Enabling intergenerational home and wealth retention
For our full policy platform, download here.
In addition to these policies, we support the advocacy of Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat Virginia to increase affordable housing at the state and national level.
Find out more about how the Habitat for Humanity network collectively advocates for safe, decent and affordable housing in the U.S. and around the world
Habitat on the Hill
Read more: Habitat on the HillThis week, Habitat DC-NOVA staff joined members of Habitat Affiliates around the world for #habitatonthehill. Staff from Habitat for Humanity attend this annual advocacy conference to discuss critical policies and speak directly with members of Congress for their Habitat community. Advocating for affordable housing is a critical part of what we do and transforms temporary…
Advocacy in Action
Read more: Advocacy in ActionThis week, members of Habitat DC-NOVA were proud to join the Commonwealth Housing Coalition, and a few of our Habitat neighboring colleagues, to advocate for important and needed state-level housing legislation in front of the Virginia General Assembly for a full early day of meetings and hearings. We thank the staff of Senator Aird, Senator…
Know Before You Go- Virginia Special Elections
Read more: Know Before You Go- Virginia Special ElectionsVote For Home– Download our guide at the bottom for more! Now through January 10- Vote early in person for House of Delegates Election in 11th and 23rd Districts January 10- January 17th- Vote early in person for House of Delegates Election in the 17th District January 13- Last day to register/update for January 20th…
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Policies & solutions we’ve advocated for
AmeriCorps Program
In 2025, we worked to mobilized supporters to share the importance of the AmeriCorps program and continuing funding for it to their members of Congress
Missing Middle in Arlington County
We commented on proposed amendments to Arlington County’s zoning policies to provide housing to middle-income families facing severe shortages.
Workforce Dwelling in Fairfax County
We weighed in on proposed policy changes to Fairfax County’s Workforce Dwelling Unit Program.
Yes In My Back Yard Act
We joined a coalition in support of the YIMBY Act to federal policymakers to eliminate exclusionary housing policies and zoning and density restrictions.
