GHIAA Power Summit Gathers Over 1000 Faith Leaders
On November 21, approximately 80 AHCC members joined more than 1000 others from 52 faith communities as well as community and legislative leaders to launch three new initiatives to pursue justice with the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance. Through personal stories, analysis, theology, and music we learned that over the coming year GHIAA will be taking some novel approaches to Housing Affordability, Fiscal Policy Reform, and Combating Racial and Religious Hate. Any AHCC member may join one or more of these efforts, and we will provide information as the campaigns develop. For now, see the information and links below to learn more about each issue and how you can join us, or contact Jenn Geisler, AHCC’s Core Team coordinator, at jjgeisler@comcast.net.
Members from across GHIAA’s 52 congregations will collaborate on educational outreach, public information, and legislative initiatives on the following three issues. Note that embedded links offer more details.
Housing Affordability
Just Cause Eviction Protections: GHIAA will fight to expand existing protections against no-fault evictions, which currently cover renters with disabilities and aged 62+, to protect all tenants in the state. To learn more about Just Cause, check out this fact sheet. We celebrate that all 9 legislators present committed to support Just Cause legislation in the 2025 legislative session!
Municipal Housing Action Teams: GHIAA leaders will organize in the towns where we live, work, and worship, to overcome obstacles and expand access to affordable housing in all our communities. To learn more about our Housing Action Team strategy, check out this info sheet. To connect with HAT leaders in your town, complete this quick form.
Fiscal Policy Reform
People-Centered Budgeting: GHIAA will fight to reform Connecticut’s system of fiscal guardrails (or roadblocks) to ensure adequate funding for social infrastructure to meet basic human needs for our state’s present and future. To learn more about the fiscal guardrails and how they are starving our communities of necessary resources, check out this fact sheet.
GHIAA endorsed the Connecticut For All statement of principles for fiscal reform. You can view the principles online here.
We celebrate that all 9 legislators present acknowledged that the current fiscal guardrails are withholding too much money from social infrastructure, committed to work with GHIAA and our allies to reform them, and signed on in support of the CTFA principles!
Combating Racial & Religious Hate
Right Relationship & True Solidarity: GHIAA will engage in learning, leadership development, and relationship building to ensure that we can fight racism, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim bigotry wherever these forms of hate occur. Details of the four-part series GHIAA will offer in winter-spring 2025, tentatively titled Deepening Understanding, Broadening Solidarity as well as additional opportunities related to understanding and fighting racial and religious hate, will be shared soon.
To express your commitment and make sure you receive further information and opportunity to register, complete this quick form.