The Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable housing campaign hosted its first Opportunity Roundtable meeting on September 18. Representatives from 70 organizations from many different sectors, including housing, education, healthcare, civil rights, anti-poverty, seniors, faith-based, anti-hunger, veterans, LGBTQ, and others, have joined this new initiative designed to foster cross-sector engagement in support for affordable homes for the lowest income people in America.
“The Roundtable is built so that organizations from different sectors can come together and engage in new ways,” said Nan Roman, president and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, who opened the meeting. “Powerful new partnerships are forming as we broaden the movement for affordable homes.”
Participants were presented with an overview of the campaign’s mission, goals, short and long-term plans, and policy agenda. Participants then broke into small groups to discuss their own expectations for the Roundtable, to provide detailed feedback to the campaign about its ongoing strategies and tactics, and to brainstorm collaborative opportunities for the future. The Roundtable, which will convene in Washington, DC, three times annually, is primarily open to organizations with a national-level focus.
“America’s affordable housing crisis demands broad attention from everyone, not just housing advocates,” said Mike Koprowski, Opportunity Starts at Home national campaign director. “We all have a stake in solving this problem, so it makes sense that leaders from various sectors are coming together via the Roundtable.”
To learn more about the Opportunity Roundtable, check out the campaign’s website. Also, please follow the campaign on all social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.