In the San Joaquin and East Coachella Valleys, low-income residents struggle to make ends meet, often paying well over half of their income on rent. And often, this housing does not meet basic health and safety standards and is in neighborhoods that have long faced public and private neglect and disinvestment, limiting access to the most basic amenities and resources. We work alongside residents to elevate and advance residents’ priorities for safe, affordable housing options and fair housing choice through local and state level policy advocacy and legal advocacy.
Our local and statewide advocacy has resulted in increased investments in affordable housing in rural communities and the City of Fresno. Through housing element and general plan advocacy, we have held local and state governments accountable to their fair housing and affordable housing responsibilities and have highlighted the interrelated nature of affordable housing and other components of healthy neighborhoods: land use, drinking water and wastewater access, transit, and basic infrastructure.