Faith & Action Spring Conference – “Creating Housing Stability”
On March 11th, Tenant Advocacy Group members attended the Faith & Action Spring Conference “Creating Housing Stability” at the Christian Theological Seminary. The conference stated its objective was to “deepen our understanding of the actions we can take to help create more safe and affordable housing, more stability and support for children and families, and more hope for strong communities”.
Housing insecurity in Indianapolis is worsening. In 2024, Indianapolis saw an 18% increase in homelessness over 2023, with the sharpest increase among families. Throughout the conference speakers made the case for fighting for affordable housing in Indianapolis, with many of them expressing a shared mantra: “If you don’t want affordable housing in your backyard, expect homelessness in your front yard.”
Several takeaways from the conference:
- Start with the belief that Housing is a Human Right. Everyone deserves access to safe, habitable, & affordable housing.
- Combat stigma. It’s essential to stop dehumanizing others. We must recognize each person’s inherent dignity & unique story.
- Look up. Too often we ignore people who are unhoused. We walk by them, looking at our phones or looking away. David Ambroz, guest speaker, poverty expert, & author of the book, A Place Called Home, stated, “Nothing we do will make them feel any worse about themselves than they already do, so look up and look them in the eyes.”
Submitted by Jean VanLeeuwen