Educating and Lobbying Your Elected Officials

The most crucial component to changing affordable housing policy is engaging with your local, state, and federal elected officials. You can engage them over the phone and email, in a letter, at community events, by scheduling visits at their office, or even asking them to take action via a letter to the editor.

MHP also has an action alert system that sends timely emails when crucial legislative decisions are being made that impact housing. The alerts contain packaged messages that send directly to legislators with the click of a mouse. Enter your address in our action alert system to find out who represents you and easily engage them on housing policy.

Citizen Lobbying Tips
The best lobbyists are citizens who schedule visits and respectfully talk to their legislators about issues that are important to them. As a citizen lobbyist you hold a powerful position traditional lobbyists do not: you are a voting constituent and you know other voting constituents.

• Tips for Lobbying Your Legislator

"I Don't Think I Can Do This"

• Simple Steps to Being Fully Prepared

Organizations are Constituents Too
Did you know that your organization is also considered a constituent? If you are a housing organization with many housing developments located in several areas, you in effect represent the homes of many voting constituents. Legislators of these districts are very interested in hearing how their decisions impact the lives of people who live or will live in your housing.

• Simple Directions for Finding Out Who Represents an Address

Speak the Language
It is helpful to learn the definitions of some words you will hear in relation to housing policy and at the legislature during your visits with legislators. Do not sweat it, usually what comes from your heart first sound most sincere to a legislator and carries more weight.

• Glossary of Legislative Fiscal Terms and Acronyms

• Glossary of Affordable Housing Terms

Most of the time, housing organizations like MHP are working on current policy issues at the legislature. The Capitol Update newsletter, legislative priorities, up-to-date fact sheets and talking points (for use during conversations with legislators), bill tracking, current events, and more are all available online at the following links:

• Capitol Update newsletter

• State Policy

• Federal Policy

Voting
Nonprofit organizations are not legally allowed to endorse candidates so we can't tell you who to vote for. However, it is the privilege and responsibility of every citizen to remain educated about candidates and their positions, and to vote for the candidate that best represents their interests. Tools on voting and how to obtain information on candidates are below.

• Register Online to Vote Here

• League of Women Voters Minnesota: Voting and Elections Information

• Voterization Campaign Planning

For more information, contact Julie Johnson, Policy & Outreach Coordinator, at 651-925-5548 or jjohnson (at) mhponline.org.