Participate in the First UN Housing Mission to the United States
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, for the first time and in coordination with NESRI, the NLCHP and grassroots housing rights organizations across the country, will visit officially the United States from October 22 - November 8.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing
, Raquel Rolnik, has been exhorting governments globally to look beyond narrow market strategies in order to protect the human right to housing. Now NESRI
, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP
), and grassroots housing rights organizations across the country are coordinating Ms. Rolnik's first official visit to the United States from October 22 - November 8.
During her tour of the country she will be documenting the national housing crisis. In particular, she will examine its impact on those suffering from foreclosure, homelessness, and inadequate social support for housing through limitations on section 8 vouchers, and demolition and defunding of public housing. Over the course of her seven location tour (Washington, DC, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Northeast Pennsylvania, and Pine Ridge, SD), the Special Rapporteur will participate in town hall meetings, conduct site visits, visit local and national government officials, and meet with the press.
Following her visit she will present a report to the United Nations General Assembly on the status of the human right to housing in the US.
Learn more
Communities around the United States will post about their experiences with the UN Special Rapporteur at the Housing Mission blog
, hosted by the Campaign to Restore National Housing Rights.
You can participate!
In each location, local communities are organizing a town hall meeting. This is a rare opportunity to meet with a UN adviser in person.
Here's the Town Hall Schedule:
New York City, NY
October 22, 6:30 PM
James Chapel, Union Theological Seminary
3041 Broadway at 121st Street
New Yorkers affected by housing issues including foreclosure, homelessness, and public housing are encouraged to participate in a town hall meeting with United Nations Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik. The town hall will feature testimony from those directly affected by the housing crisis in New York, an open dialogue on housing as a human right, and a presentation by Ms. Rolnik. Come voice your concerns about evictions, foreclosures, predatory lending, homelessness, Section 8 rental assistance and public housing to Special Rapporteur Rolnik
The town hall meeting is sponsored by a coalition of local housing rights organizations. The event is open to the general public and is free of charge.
Please contact NESRI at info@nesri.org
with questions.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
October 25, 1:00 PM
Snyder Room, Sheehy-Farmer Conference Center
King's College
Learn more at the NEPA Organizing Center
.
Contact Frank Sindaco at frank@nepaorganizingcenter.org
Chicago, IL
October 27, 7:00 PM
Fernwood United Methodist Church
10057 South Wallace Street
Contact JR Fleming at iamcabrini@gmail.com
New Orleans, LA
October 30, 6:30 PM
St. Bernard Community Church
3938 St. Bernard Avenue
Contact Alex Gustrom at NOLA.UN.09@gmail.com
Kyle, SD
November 1, 1:35 PM
Oglala Lakota College
3 Mile Creek Road
Learn more here.
Contact Bill Means at Bill.Means@state.mn.us
or Andrea Carmen at andrea@treatycouncil.org
Los Angeles, CA
November 2, 6:00 PM
The California Endowment
1000 North Alameda Street
Contact Becky Dennison at BeckyD@cangress.org
More info:
Check out NESRI's website
for our updates.
Follow us on Twitter
, or see what people are saying by searching for our special Twitter tag for this event: #housingmission
.
Read the UN's press release
on this mission.