ACORN Hamilton Campaign Organizing Drive to Strengthen the City’s Housing Emergency Fund

On March 6, ACORN Hamilton members held the first Organizing Committee (OC) meeting on zoom to launch a new campaign to improve and expand the city’s Housing Emergency Fund (HEF) – Hamilton’s rent bank. Over 20 ACORN members joined the meeting.

At the beginning of the year, ACORN members voted to prioritize strengthening this program because many tenants are struggling to keep up with rising rents and unexpected financial emergencies. The HEF is meant to help tenants who fall behind on rent stay housed, but members shared that the current program has serious gaps that prevent many people from accessing it when they need it most.

During the meeting, members discussed several barriers tenants face, including strict income cut-offs, limited eligibility for people experiencing short-term unemployment, and lack of public awareness about the program. Members brainstormed ways to better understand the issue and build strong demands for change. 

This campaign will unfold over the next few months through a series of organizing meetings, leading up to a public campaign launch later this year.