National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition

The National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition is a broad, voluntary coalition of over 120 organizations working to improve housing conditions nationwide through education and outreach to key national stakeholders and federal public decision-makers. The Coalition promotes policies for safe and healthy housing in the United States, with special emphasis on those who are disproportionately impacted.

Join Our Advocacy Efforts Today

Speak Out Today! Urge Congress to Restore Funding for Lead Poisoning Prevention

The final appropriations bill for FY12 provides only $2 million for CDC’s Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program—down from $29 million in FY11. Nearly a half million children rely on the services of this program, which funds 35 state health departments (and their local partners) to monitor blood lead screening  and respond to every child who has an elevated blood lead level with a home inspection and referrals for medical intervention and lead remediation. The program also prevents the disease through housing policies, community education, and outreach. By agreeing to this level of funding, Congress is abandoning low-income, African American, and Latino children who are disproportionately impacted by lead. 

Find out what you can do to help and read the impact statement for your state and the strategy for restoring funding for lead and healthy homes in 2013. Read more about CDC appropriations.

What’s Involved in Participating

Quarterly Coalition meetings offer updates on progress with the Policy Agenda and allied efforts and usually feature a guest speaker on a topic related to the Coalition’s policy priorities. Regular email communications are sent to all Coalition members, often with action items for consideration. One meeting every other year is designated the “biennial meeting” for elections and other Coalition business.

The main methods for advancing the agenda of the Coalition are through the workgroups and individual advocacy.  Workgroup membership is open to all Coalition members; get involved by contacting their chairpersons or assigned staff. Workgroups function through conference calls, with DC-area members and staff attending in-person meetings in Washington DC as needed.  

Joining the Coalition is free. The Coalition seeks member organizations that represent the diversity of the safe and healthy housing community, will contribute to and support the National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition Policy Agenda, and will actively help to achieve the purpose and goals of the Coalition.  More than one person from an organization can receive email, but there should be a designated representative and alternate from each organizational member. The Coalition also welcomes individual members who are not affiliated with a member organization.

Ready to join the Coalition? Sign up. If you have any questions about membership, please contact Jane Malone.

How the Coalition Works

The Coalition adopts an annual Policy Agenda and participates in allied efforts as opportunities arise.  The Coalition’s Workgroups, which conduct activities in support of the policy agenda, are organized around Executive Branch Priorities, Legislative Priorities, and State and Local Policy Priorities. The Workgroup leaders communicate with the Coalition’s Steering Committee and the Coalition Coordinator; facilitate Workgroup meetings; provide direction to develop goals, objectives, and action plans; and engages in active and ongoing communication with Workgroup participants to fulfill the Workgroup’s objectives.

A 12-15 member Steering Committee provides leadership and direction to the Coalition and takes positions or make statements on its behalf. Member organizations may request that their names not be listed on any Coalition statements. As the fiscal and administrative agent for the Coalition, NCHH serves as the Coalition Coordinator and plans Coalition meetings with input from the Steering Committee.

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