Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more prepared you are to defend your right to housing and that of your neighbors. You can develop your individual advocacy skills through a training series like HEAL. You can connect with local organizers like the Miami Workers Center. Or start by researching the roots of our country’s and county’s housing crisis.

• Learn more about the history of our country’s founding. We didn't magically acquire this land nor "work hard" to earn it. We took it from others. Sometimes people use the same “self-made” logic against those who are unhoused. They don't take into account the full realities of how a person becomes unhoused in our country.
• Speaking of, know the history of how homelessness even began. It was usually because of post-war economic losses that compounded over time. Take a look at some of the myths behind homelessness as well.
• Read and understand the vicious problem of the jail cycle in our country. Why do we pay to imprison people, but won’t pay to house them?
• Understand the cycle of poverty and the limits people have in receiving federal benefits (benefit cliffs).
• Know your legislators and hold them accountable. Speak truth to power by sharing your story and vision for housing justice. Keep track of their voting records to stay informed.
• Hold yourself accountable & ask questions. Do not just accept things for how they are. Why is this the way it is? Who is affected positively or negatively? Why do I or don't I care? Who stands to benefit from keeping entire groups in poverty? How would my feelings change if someone I love ended up in the streets?
• Center the stories of people’s lived experiences. We all want the same good life for ourselves. However, some corrupt politicians and corporations want us to blame each other for scarcities. Combat those mindsets by making space for stories from different perspectives than your own.