The Budget Power Project shows communities how to advocate for affordable housing funding
Julieta Oseguera remembers moving often when she was young. At the age of eight, her family lost their home, and ended up in a shelter before moving in with a relative. It took four years before they found another home the family of seven could afford.
“It was frightening not knowing what would happen to us afterwards,” she remembers. “That does affect people, especially younger children … they don’t get to experience being an actual child. Instead, they have to worry if they still have a home to go to, or an area where they feel safe.”
According to a study by the National Institute of Health and Human Development, the effects of housing insecurity—including on children who’ve moved twice or more in a year—is associated with poor health and increased developmental risks. Unfortunately, in California, many families and individuals are priced out of the housing market.
“Housing is not just a basic need, but it’s also a social determinant of health.”
Anna Lisa Vargas, Lead Community Organizer, CNC Education Fund
“Housing is not just a basic need, but it’s also a social determinant of health,” says Anna Lisa Vargas, lead community organizer for Communities for a New California Education Fund (CNC EF) in Merced.
But there are solutions, Vargas says, such as increasing the number of available and affordable housing units (including “starter” homes); investments in home ownership; and developing home buyer readiness programs to create stable housing markets where individuals and families thrive. The key is getting those efforts included in city and county budgets.
The Budget Power Project gives communities the tools to do just that. Created by the California Budget & Policy Center, Catalyst California and the Million Voters Project, the Budget Power Project partners with more than 100 organizations across the state, including CNC EF, to create equitable public policies and budgetary practices. Their efforts aim to demystify budgetary processes through:
Trainings, strategies and technical assistance to understand how different types of budgets are created and spent.
Providing research, analysis and supporting data to inform efforts and create equitable budget demands.
Helping organizations develop campaigns through community engagement and direct action.
In 2023, the San Joaquin Valley Speaks Survey found affordable housing to be a top concern for respondents throughout Merced, Fresno, Kern, King, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties. Of the 2,616 residents who responded, nearly 42% said a lack of affordable housing has negatively affected their household. Commissioned by the CNC EF and MOVE the Valley, the survey found that of that near majority, a quarter believe there’s not enough affordable housing units while more than half considered rent too high. Many respondents expressed a desire to own their own home because “it provides stability for me and my household” and “I want to create generational wealth for my children/decedents.”
“We’re basing [our efforts] on actual, real people that are speaking about this and how it’s affecting them, so we have that evidence-based approach,” says Vargas. “We’re not just asking for an amount of money, but we’re basing it on the real needs, the situation and the impact it’s having on their constituents.”
For more information on the Budget Power Project, visit www.budgetpowerproject.org.
