We’ve been meeting with legislators a lot over the last few months, primarily to talk about the Cost of Home campaign that Habitat launched back in June. We’re getting lots of positive responses from legislators, but one thing that we are frequently asked is “What is the Cost of Home campaign all about?” That is when I show them our Cost of Home Value Statement. That is what I wanted to share below. This is a document that outlines what we mean when we are talking about the Cost of Home. It provides us a framework that we use to evaluate proposals and legislation. With each policy idea we look at, we are asking ourselves if it lines up with our values and priorities. We wanted to make this public because everyone should know what the Cost of Home campaign means to us. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any comments or questions here!
Habitat for Humanity of Washington State – Cost of Home Values Statement
Home is more than just a place where you rest your head. A home is a sense of stability. A sense of safety. A sense of accomplishment. It’s a place where people reconnect with family, friends, and their community.
Habitat for Humanity of Washington State is a proud member of Habitat for Humanity International’s Cost of Home campaign. Over the next five years, we will be working in Olympia and with our affiliates across the state to address the Cost of Home both in the policies we support and in the actions we engage in. What is outlined below is a statement of the values that Habitat for Humanity of Washington State holds and will be acting on through the Cost of Home campaign. Each of these statements should be seen in a larger context. What works in Seattle may not work in Palouse and we recognize that.
The Cost of Home campaign has been broken down into four themes; supply and preservation of resources for home production, increase inclusive access to credit, enable equitable access to land, and develop communities of opportunity. Many of the values outlined below fit into multiple categories. This illustrates the intersectional nature of the challenges we are facing and how we are looking for intersectional solutions.
Supply and Preservation
- We believe that every family, regardless of income, deserves to live in the communities where they work and play if they so choose. No family should have to spend more than 30% of their monthly income on the cost of home.
- We believe that housing is a continuum. We need to protect and preserve what we have in addition to adding more. Habitat for Humanity of Washington State supports increased housing options across the spectrum, not just homeownership.
- We believe that we must work to mitigate the effects that a changing climate will have on our communities through a wide range of options, including building resilient housing, updating flood maps, and reducing our carbon footprint in how and where we build.
- We believe that affordable housing should remain affordable. We need support to preserve the affordable housing options that already exist in addition to supporting an increase the supply of affordable housing itself.
- We believe that it is important to keep families in shelter in addition to helping them gain access to shelter. By repairing and improving already existing homes, we can slow down gentrification, mitigate displacement, help families adjust to changing mobility challenges, and help families age in place gracefully.
- We believe that all people, regardless of their economic status, deserve a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home and that the Federal, State, and Local government must work together to make it a reality for all.
Equitable Access to Credit
- We believe that every person deserves equal access to banking services and credit. There are too many communities across the United States that don’t have access to financial institutions and as a result, don’t have the opportunity to preserve and grow their wealth.
- We believe in economic justice. We believe that creating more opportunities for all members of society to earn viable wages will contribute to sustained economic growth.
- We believe in access and making sure that every community has the same opportunity available to the wealthiest parts of our state. We need to not only end the practice of redlining, but we need to work to reverse the historical effects of redlining and support intentional investment in communities that have been disproportionately affected.
Equitable Access to Land
- We believe that part of a good home includes access to quality schools. Every child in every zip code deserves an opportunity to attend a high-quality school. Education is key to economic mobility. When land and property value is tied to access to quality schools, increasing the quality of our schools increases the economic mobility for all.
- We believe that increasing the density of our larger cities will allow for stronger communities. Removing the restrictions around single family zoning in communities where it is appropriate will allow for families and communities in land-strapped spaces to grow and build how it best makes sense for each neighborhood.
- We believe that reversing the effects of redlining will grow and build the communities that have suffered the most from misguided policy. We need to make intentional and targeted efforts to invest in communities that have been historically excluded from opportunity and increase the diversity of our cities and communities.
- We believe that transportation is an essential piece of the solution and needs to be a part of any comprehensive solution to making the cost of home something everyone can afford. People need to be able to get around and access to a diverse array of transportation options is crucial for economic advancement.
Communities of Opportunity
- We believe that any solution that addresses the cost of home needs to have every community at the table and needs to be focused on equity. Historically, there are many communities that have been left out of the conversation and ultimately left behind in the economic growth of our state. We need to intentionally be inclusive and include equity in all of our possible solutions.
- We believe that quality schools are a major key to economic opportunity and mobility. There is a disproportionate amount of need for high quality schools in communities of color which has led to a cavalcade of inequality for these communities. We need to make intentional efforts to improve schools in these communities and unlock opportunities for those who have historically been left behind.
- We believe that economic injustice is real and that we need to be pursuing policies that reverse that. Redlining, a lack of banking access, and discriminatory lending practices are only a few of the problems that communities of opportunity have faced and we need to encourage targeted investment in these communities in an attempt to begin to reverse the historical effects.