"It is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." - President Barack Obama
June 7-8, 2011 Thurgood Marshall Center Washington, D.C.
Thanks to all who made the 2011 forum such a success!
Who Should Attend Schedule Speakers Travel Information Partners Sponsors CLE Credits
Recent polling indicates that 3/4 of Americans believe that adequate housing is a human right, and 2/3 believe that government programs need to be expanded to ensure this right. Despite this belief, if one looks around, it is clear our ideals do not meet our reality. Now is a key time for advocates, who can and should use human rights standards to reframe the public debate about homelessness, poverty, and access to justice; support community organizing efforts; and shape national policy. With devastating budget cuts and rising homelessness come great urgency, but the federal government's response to the U.S.'s first UN human rights review explicitly stated U.S. support for "expand[ing] social protection coverage" and "reducing homelessness."
The top US official responsible for human rights, elaborating on that commitment, said that meant "this Administration will keep fighting to bring health care to more Americans, improve education to make our country more competitive, and continue to provide unemployment benefits for those who need them. Despite our budget constraints, we will continue to invest in the future of the American people."
Join us as we strategize together, building on these successes to help realize the human right to housing here at home.
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