Lobby Day is a special day for tenants to meet with legislators face-to-face and tell them how important it is to protect and improve public housing. By showing up together at the State House, we show our elected leaders that we are fighting for our rights and we are paying attention to how they vote.
This spring, the Massachusetts legislature is debating a once-every-five-year “bond bill,” as well as the FY25 budget. The bond bill, known as the Affordable Homes Act, provides $1.6 billion for public housing repairs and capital needs. While more is needed, this is a great start in the right direction! We need to ensure that our representatives do not weaken this bill before it passes in the summer!
How it Works
Tenants will arrive at the state house around 9:30 on May 20 and the programming will begin at 10:00am. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. (See information about transportation and interpretation here.) In the morning, we will hear from the distinguished leaders listed above, as well as our partners at MassNAHRO.
After the full group morning session, tenants will break into smaller groups and meet directly with either their elected representatives or members of the House and Senate leadership, or their staff. Our team will arrange these meetings with support from consultant Elaine Almquist, and you will be trained and provided with talking points before you meet with reps. No one will have to speak unless they are comfortable doing so! Each small group will have designated leaders to make this work well.
During the free time between your small group meetings, we will provide other optional activities such as informational sessions with our partners, chair yoga, and lunch. Buses will then depart the state house around 2:30.
Lobby Day is free for tenants! For others, we suggest a $50 donation to cover the costs of lunch and transportation.