Wow! I’m happy to share that EBHO’s inaugural Faith & Justice Day of Action, Faith Demands Housing For All, was a great success! We welcomed faith leaders from Berkeley, Oakland, Concord, and throughout the East Bay who were excited to put their commitment to housing justice to action. We hope all 100+ attendees left with some wisdom from our panelists who brought a depth and breadth of experience and insight into how we show up for our unhoused neighbors and those who seek secure housing opportunities. We also hope that the training led by our friends at St. Mary’s Center on Proposition 5 equipped our guests with the knowledge and language to engage their communities.
One of our goals was to bring new and existing leaders into the fold. At the beginning of our program, we took a few moments to recognize our collective feelings of grief and frustration after the decision to pull Regional Measure 4 from the ballot in November. While we are deeply disappointed by this decision, we know that the fight for affordable housing continues!
The number of pledges and responses to take action are proof that our community is ready to make Proposition 5 a reality for all of California. As you may know, faith communities are motivated by both a commitment to the beloved community and a commitment to justice. We have an opportunity to meet both with our housing justice priorities and campaigns.
Finally, on behalf of the EBHO team, I’d like to express our gratitude for our guest panelists Rev. Laurie Manning, Rev. Molly Baskette, Dr. Gerald Agee, and Christine Ngounou, as well as our partners from St. Mary’s Center who led us through a community speakers training on how to advocate for Prop 5. We are also grateful for our friends at City of Refuge UCC in Oakland for allowing us to use their space for this important event.
And thank YOU for your support this year. We are only as strong as our members, partners, and friends.
With appreciation,
— Ronnie Boyd, Community, Faith, & Justice Organizer
What Comes Next?
We hope that our Day of Action has moved you and reinvigorated your fire for justice. Below you will find additional materials from the event as well as information on how you can get involved in the campaign for Proposition 5.
1. Pledge to take action
Whether you attended our Faith & Justice event or not, you can take action! Fill out this form to let us know how you’d like to get involved and spread the word in support of Prop 5.
2. Endorse Proposition 5 as an Organization or Individual
Visit www.yesonprop5.org to learn more and join the coalition to pass Prop 5!
3. Review training materials
Our friends at St. Mary’s Center worked hard to create and present materials about Prop 5, why it is important in the fight for housing justice, and how to advocate for it in our communities. Download their slides and share them across your networks!
4. Attend a follow up info session. And invite a friend to join you!
EBHO and St. Mary’s Center are each hosting upcoming info sessions next month about Prop 5 and how you can join us to ensure that we win on Election Day in November:
- St. Mary’s Center’s Prop 5 Briefing: What’s Next in Affordable Housing?, September 4th @ 11am
- EBHO’s All About Prop 5 Lunch & Learn, September 12th @ 1pm
Both of these virtual events are free and open to the public, but you must RSVP!
5. View photos from our Day of Action
Over 100 guests joined us last week in Oakland to learn, reflect, and plan for the months ahead. Visit our Facebook page to view highlights from the event! Photos courtesy of Alain McLaughlin Photography Inc.
