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Aiding Residents in Becoming Advocates for the PHA Mission

“A Primer for Creating a Plan for Advocacy”

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Resident Activists

PH residents have a long-standing history of “being vocal”

– Sometimes for and sometimes against the actions (or inaction) of their PHA or HUD

Various HUD regulations provide for resident support and PHA requirements to elevate the “residents’ participation in public housing operations” including:

– Resident councils– Resident representation on board of commissioners– Resident advisory board (RAB) for PHA Plan

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24 CFR §964

Expanded resident participation requirements to strongly support resident participation in ALL aspects of a HA's management operations, and these requirements give rights to residents to freely organize and represent their interests.

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Residents as Advocates

Resident leaders/spokespersons are often referred to as grassroots advocates

Some residents are readily identifiable as leaders and/or “advocates”– Resident commissioner– Resident council officers– Residents who volunteer w/youth

Other residents can become advocates, & current advocates can become stronger allies

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Advocacy…

Organized advocacy is about creating a role for everyone to participate and contribute something to reaching the goal(s).

Matching a willing person's skills (and enthusiasm) to the needs of the task is what builds a network of advocates.

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Answering these questions will aid in identifying your potential network of resident advocates and start you in the right direction.– What are the Crucial Issues You Wish to

Address? Local funding opportunities Local support for youth/resident services Increased resident participation in PHA Plan Support for or against federal legislation affecting the

PHA and its constituents/stakeholders

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Develop Plan to Create Advocates

Initial Questions/outline:– What are the Specific Characteristics/ Qualities Needed for

a Credible Leader on your specific Issues/goals? Current resident Former resident/success story (e.g., homeowner,

entrepreneur, FSS grad) Sec 3 employee

– How do you want the resident advocates to relate to Existing Community Groups?

Small group meetings Public testimony Letter writing

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– Who are these groups or Grassroots Coalitions?– PHA board– City council– State legislature– United Way funded organizations– Media?

– Construct Monitoring Mechanisms to Guarantee That Your Advocacy Campaign is Doing What You Envisioned:

goal to continuously improve the content & quality of the advocates’ messaging

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Knowledge is Empowerment!

A defined plan to transform the lines of communication with and for residents will work to increase their knowledge about the PHA changes now and into the future creating an empowered resident; and an empowered resident can/will become a “PHA Advocate”.  

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8 Steps to Establish a Knowledge Foundation

   1.Establish A Knowledge Foundation

-Provide Information… about your residents that your employees need to know

e.g.,   about your employees that your residents need to

know.– Org chart; lines of reporting; specific duties under asset

mgmt

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2.     Empower Your Residents

Empower your residents to self-serve through a range of communication options. 

- phone contacts, email, regularly scheduled meetings

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  Listen To Your Residents Learn what your residents are thinking and act on it;

Learn What Residents Are Thinking—– be deliberate and purposeful in soliciting

their input when there is no crisis at hand.

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Engage Residents Proactively - Communicate with your residents with personal and relevant interactions.

8.     Measure And Improve Continuously !

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Designing an Advocacy Strategy

Identify the Goal (Legislative or other?)– Increased police patrols– More or different providers of human/youth services

Define a Strategic Path for Reaching the Goal(s) such as:

– Personal meetings– Letters– Public testimony– Proposals for partnerships or funding– Resident and/or staff training

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Focus on Relevant Related Legislation, if any:

– State or federal legislation Example: “TRA” (Transforming Rental Assistance);

Rental Housing Revitalization Act

– Identify the Preferences of the Key Legislators Why are they for or against the targeted legislation What support can the resident advocates provide the

legislators

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Solicit Information on Constituency Groups & Policy Makers

– Develop list of others sharing your views/positions?

Determine Order of Actions and the Advocates to Perform Them

– Board members– Staff– Residents

Remember residents may be better rec’d as honest-brokers

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Establish Visible Coordinating Network for Each Level of Effort

Build Coalitions and Use Direct Mail With Them

Assess the Potential of Media Support for each advocacy campaign

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Training of Resident Advocates

Skills-based training will increase advocates’ effectiveness:– Letter writing– Public speaking– Approaching/Responding to the press– Tips for preparing for oral testimony– How legislation is passed & importance of citizen

participation– Legislative meeting “role-plays”

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Training of Resident Advocates

Provide training on:– HUD’s 21st C Transformation Agenda– PHA Transition to Asset Mgmt

Decentralization Funding at project level Adopting more private sector real estate practices

– Manager responsible for “resident services”– Each property must be “successful”

Well performing financially; physically viable

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

Best started at the local level in the office of the Member of Congress or the state legislature.

– Policy makers crave personal stories, local info & opinions

Any person or group can start the process by requesting a meeting with the senior staff member.

Once the appointment is set, send a description of your organization (or issue) so the staff has an opportunity to prepare for the meeting.

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

On the day of the meeting, arrive early. Talk with the receptionist while leaving your

business card and a copy of your brief materials.

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

If 2+ person attending meeting decide in advance who will present which part of the message– be sure to provide local illustrations to support

your points. – Listen carefully to the staff member's responses. – Commit those responses to paper and pass along

the information to the larger group/ organization

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

Decide who will close the meeting – repeating the purpose of the visit and finishing on a

positive note. – Leave behind your organizational profile and/or

something that details your group's legislative goals.

Typically, the 1st visit is a get-acquainted session – future meetings become increasingly more specific in

their legislative policy objectives.

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

After the meeting, send a thank you note to the local staff member with a copy to the Member of Congress or the state legislature.

Mark on your calendar a date three months later at which time you should send a letter to the staff with some additional information and documentation.

At six months (or sooner, if applicable), invite the staff member to some local function you are organizing.

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

At every stage, maintain notes on the issues you discuss and the staff member's position on those issues.

Also develop a list of the information that you have provided to the staff member.

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Tips for Successful Advocacy at the Local Level

Remember, elected officials are looking for feedback from their constituencies. – But, the method of contact makes a difference in

how the communication is received.

In national, state, and local policy-making, using an effective approach helps. – And having the “right” advocates for “the issue” is

essential!

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Exercise

Operating Reserve Recapture at a Critical Stage - Your Immediate Action Can Help

PHAs know that much is at risk with proposed cut to the Operating Fund by $1 billion or 20 percent in 2012. – HUD has also proposed to offset that cut with

Operating Reserves held by well run housing authorities that the administration considers "excessive."

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Creating Resident Advocates Against Proposed Budget Cuts

1- Why should residents care about this issue at your PHA?

2- Who in your community should the resident advocates recruit as allies?

3- Which residents can be quickly recruited as advocates on this issue?

4- What PHA personnel is best-suited to work with/train the advocates

– Board member(s), staff

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Resources for these materials:– 24 CFR 964– Wikipedia– www.grassroots-advocacy.com– www.phada.org