Affordable housing is an issue that impacts many Americans. Section 8 housing is a policy that was created to address this issue. The issue is that the policy was created to address the issue, but it does not. There are many people that do not have access to safe housing. Section 8 has historically been inaccessible and discriminatory. The barriers that exist to access safe housing impact the quality of life that families can have and contribute to the inequity that exists in society. The people who are most vulnerable to this are Black and Brown folks, as well as people who are living in poverty. When folks do not have access to safe housing, it puts every other need as a lower priority. When not even basic needs are being met, it puts people into crisis mode that impacts their mental health. The idea of Section 8 addresses many of the surface level concerns related to affordable housing. It lacks structure that can actually benefit folks who seek safe housing.

Skills, competencies &/or capacities learned

• Apply ethical decision-making about policies
• Increase understanding of power and oppression
• Advocacy on micro, mezzo and macro level
• Advocacy of fundamental human rights such as an adequate standard of living
• Apply understanding of social, economic and environmental justice
• Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services
• Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice