Resources and
Ways to Advocate

What is advocacy?

Advocacy can seem like a daunting word, but it simply means speaking up and taking action to influence positive change. It can be a policy change, a change in public opinion, or a change in the lives of individuals. This can be at a personal, community, or policy level.

Individual-level advocacy

• Educate yourself and raise awareness.
  • Learn about issues, share reliable articles, and have conversations to raise awareness.
• Social media
  • Use your platforms to amplify the voices of those most impacted and spread reliable information.
• Vote!!
  • Vote in all elections. Inform yourself about the candidates and vote for those who align with your values. Share this information with others.
  • Help others register to vote and vouch for neighbors when applicable.
  • Inform your community that you can still vote if you are unhoused or have a felony conviction.

Community-level advocacy

• Join or form groups
  • Connect with coalitions that are already doing the work. It can be a great way to learn more about the issue and get to know who the key players are. They often provide action alerts and even templates to contact officials.
  • Mobilize your community! That can be your neighborhood, friends, family, faith groups, etc. Host forums, letter-writing campaigns, and awareness events.
• Show up where decisions are made.
  • Attend school board, city council, or county hearings to let elected officials know that people care and are there to hold them accountable.

Policy- and systems-level advocacy

• Contact elected officials
  • Send emails, write letters, make phone calls, or set up meetings to share your perspective. You are their boss; they work for their constituents! Let them know what things they should be prioritizing and what the community needs.
• Testify at hearings
  • Sharing your story, data, and impact of harm or benefit. Testimonies can be a powerful tool for informing politicians and even swaying opinions on bills being heard!

Direct support

• You can directly support causes you care about by:
  • Listening to the people most impacted and amplifying their voices.
  • Volunteering your time, donating money or supplies, or offering your skills.
  • Encourage accountability by asking organizations, businesses, and policymakers how they address inequalities.

Resources

If you’re interested in learning more and engaging on issues facing families and persons experiencing homelessness in Minnesota, we recommend exploring the following organizations:

Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is a cabinet-level body led by Lt. Governor Flanagan and is comprised of the commissioners of 14 state agencies and the chair of the Metropolitan Council. It is accountable for leading the state’s efforts to move towards housing, health, and racial justice for people experiencing homelessness. The Council is co-chaired by Commissioners Harpstead (Department of Human Services) and Ho (Minnesota Housing).

Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization focused on improving public policy and using the power of advocacy to ensure statewide housing stability and economic security. MCH works with people experiencing homelessness and housing instability along with over 100 member organizations across Minnesota.