Advocacy
Our approach to advocacy is based on decades of on-the-ground experience and policy expertise.
In addition to lifting our hammers, we must also lift our voices in support of affordable shelter.
Building is part of the solution, but less visible aspects of housing like laws, regulations, systems, and rules about land and development are critical components in eliminating barriers to safe, healthy, affordable housing. Drawing on our profound knowledge of housing’s essential role in enhancing family opportunities, we are committed to collaboratively and impartially reforming policies and laws to support our community’s housing needs.
Housing that is affordable costs no more than 30% of a family’s household income
Federal Advocacy Goals
Advocating for Affordable Homeownership and Community Strength
Knoxville Habitat for Humanity is committed to advancing policies that create pathways to affordable homeownership, address systemic barriers, and foster housing resilience. Our advocacy efforts align with Habitat for Humanity’s national policy platform and focus on three core pillars: increasing affordable homeownership supply, ensuring equitable access to homeownership, and improving homeownership resilience.
Increase Affordable Homeownership Supply
To meet the growing demand for affordable housing, Knoxville Habitat supports policy strategies that expand the supply of modestly priced, entry-level homes for families of all backgrounds.
Key Policy Goals:
- Expand Affordable Home Construction: Advocate for increased funding for housing-supportive infrastructure, affordable construction financing, and tax incentives for building and rehabilitating starter homes.
- Improve Access to Land: Prioritize affordable housing providers in accessing publicly held properties and create funds for low-cost property acquisition.
- Streamline Zoning: Support zoning reforms that reduce barriers to affordable home construction, such as allowing attached housing and expediting permit approvals.
- Reduce Development Costs: Promote policies that lower taxes and fees for affordable homebuilding, such as reducing impact fees and sales taxes on building materials.
Ensure Equitable Access to Homeownership
We believe every family deserves the opportunity to build wealth and security through homeownership. However, systemic inequities continue to block many families, particularly in communities of color and rural areas, from accessing affordable housing.
Key Policy Goals:
- Support Underserved Populations: Expand down payment assistance, address lending disparities, and advocate for fair and unbiased home appraisals.
- Promote Rural and Distressed Area Lending: Strengthen lending programs in rural and economically disadvantaged areas, including small-dollar mortgages and appraisal gap solutions.
- Leverage Housing Vouchers: Advocate for improved usability of housing choice vouchers to transition low-income families from renting to owning.
- Reform Tax Credits: Ensure state and federal tax policies effectively address the needs of low- and moderate-income homebuyers without driving up housing costs.
Strengthen Homeownership Resilience
Homeownership is a powerful tool for building generational wealth and community stability, but families face growing challenges that threaten their ability to retain their homes. Knoxville Habitat supports initiatives that ensure families can weather challenges and thrive in their homes.
Key Policy Goals:
- Support Critical Home Repairs: Advocate for investments in repair programs that help low-income homeowners address urgent safety and accessibility needs.
- Provide Property Tax Relief: Promote policies that keep property taxes manageable, such as tax deferrals and relief for homes with lasting affordability requirements.
- Ensure Affordable Insurance: Work to address rising insurance premiums through policies that reward storm-resilient home construction and improve access to affordable coverage.
- Promote Energy Efficiency: Support programs that provide equitable access to energy efficiency upgrades, solar technologies, and climate resilience measures.
- Protect Heirs’ Property Owners: Advocate for affordable estate planning services and reforms to help families retain ownership of their homes and intergenerational wealth.
Additional Advocacy Priorities
- Address the Full Housing Continuum: Support policies that address housing challenges beyond homeownership, such as rental affordability and homelessness.
- Strengthen the Nonprofit Housing Sector: Advocate for policies that empower nonprofits like Knoxville Habitat to increase and preserve affordable housing.
Your Voice Matters
Join us in advocating for policies that create opportunities for affordable homeownership, break down systemic barriers, and empower families to achieve stability and success. Together, we can build stronger, more equitable communities.
How to Advocate
Email your legislators
Share your support for the need for affordable housing with policymakers at all levels of government.
Show your support
Download ready-made social media graphics and printable signs to show that you want our representatives to make housing a priority.
Sign up to get advocacy news
Receive updates and action alerts via email about Knoxville Habitat’s local, state, and national advocacy efforts.
Learn more about our advocacy initiatives
See a snapshot of the innovative ways Habitat’s network is advocating across the nation..
