Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement (ACE) Collaborative is a nonprofit, non-partisan program started by the New Virginia Majority Education Fund. ACE members are Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Mongolians, Kashmiris, Nepalis and Vietnamese and other Asian ethnicities. Our communities face issues with accessing housing, education, health care, job instability, discrimination and racism.
Our mission is to educate, mobilize and organize our communities and collectively address issues. ACE strategies are community education and organizing, leadership development, community education, grasstops and alliance building as well as civic engagement. ACE organizers identify, recruit, encourage and train Asian working-class leaders in Arlington to run and win campaigns to collectively address community needs including access to low cost housing, payment of unemployment, rental assistance, and eviction prevention, displacement, etc.
Staff: Nupur Chowdhury, Bangladeshi Community Organizer, [email protected]
ACE Collaborative is looking to hire full-time or part-time community organizers. Please look here for more information if you're interested.
Address: 3801 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, 2nd Floor
Current Projects:
Housing Grant Assistance in Arlington
Rent is so high for our communities, and ACE went to the government to demand more long term rent assistance! Now, we are seeing it is not so easy applying to the housing grant program, but 4 of our members were approved for a monthly rent assistance grant up to $1000! They will be receiving aid from the Department of Human Services for rental assistance. This process was difficult and there were many barriers, but we will be continuing to build a plan that makes it easier to access housing grant funds for our communities. We need you to apply and get involved --If you are interested in making it easier for all of us to get fair long-term rent assistance in Arlington County, join us.
Barcroft Apartments
Are you worried about the changes happening to neighborhoods in Arlington? Do you want to help keep your Arlington community affordable for you and your family? Do you live along Columbia Pike in Arlington County? ESPECIALLY in Barcroft Apartments?
There’s been a rumor that Barcroft apartments have been sold to a new developer. We are currently planning a campaign to make sure apartments along Columbia Pike remain affordable. Check out future events to learn how to get involved to keep the development affordable for the community.
Unemployment Action Coalition: Fair Payments Now! Campaign Updates
Unemployed Action Coalition: Fair Payment Now! of 13+ Organizations...This advocacy and organizing has kept VEC to fix their appointment system, increase language access, increase phone access..But more work to be done! Let's keep working together. If you are interested in organizing this campaign, getting more people involved and fixing VEC policy, check out future events.
Past Projects
Affordable Housing in Arlington County
With the rapid development of Arlington, rents are increasing and many communities of color, who have been here for years, are now leaving Arlington. We are working with our members to figure out a solution to this issue that best addresses the needs of working class members of the community.
Asian American Community Survey on Housing and Income
READ THE REPORT here. This report highlights how the public perception of Asians in Virginia can mask the challenges their unique communities face. In order to better support Asian American working class communities in Arlington, ACE suggests that the county invest in Asian American initiatives that focus on culturally specific social services and anti-gentrification policies. Arlington County must commit to do the necessary work to preserve its multi-ethnic culture and protect affordable housing developments for those who earn less than 40% of the average median income (AMI). Without community centered initiatives, investment in our communities and public services, and deeper housing affordability it is anticipated that invisibilized Asian American Arlington residents will be under devastating pressure to leave their homes.
COVID-19 Cancel Rent and Stop Eviction Campaign in Arlington
We have been working together with Asian and Asian American community members in Arlington to ensure that undocumented, low-income, working class community members are protected from eviction, and have access to the rent resources they need.
February 2020 International Mother Language Day: A Celebration of our Homes Event
May 2020 Cancel Rent Car Rally Actions Rental Relief Program in Virginia!
2020 Cancel Rent Arlington Town Hall 140+ on Zoom call during the pandemic = advocacy for Virginia Asia Community..Rental Relief Program and New Tenant Protections!
Stop the Push Out Petition and Rally:400+ Signatures to petition the county and 17+ organizations signing on
Other Information
Become a Member!
This month we launched a membership program! For $10/year, become a member of New Virginia Majority and ACE Collaborative. As a New Virginia Majority or hub member, you can work with those in your community while expanding on your leadership skills, learn campaign strategies and community organizing skills and receive invitations to activities, training, conferences, and other events for free or reduced cost. We have three new languages on the membership page to provide more accessibility. We are also offering $50 gift cards to new ACE members.
Housing Grants Applications in Arlington County:
In July, Arlington County will be implementing new changes to their Housing Grants Program: https://housing.arlingtonva.us/get-help/rental-services/local-housing-grants/. If interested in applying, please reach out to Nupur to complete the application! It takes up to 30-60 days to process so let’s get it started. A few community members have already gotten aid - housing is a human right and our communities need to apply.
New Virginia Tenant Eviction Protections Now through 6/30/22 & RRP Program:
- Please call Legal Services of Northern Virginia at (571) 470-2112 to receive help from LSNV and they can complete and help you submit the rental assistance application.
- Fairfax County tenants apply for RRP with Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at (703) 222-0880.
- Here’s the Rent Relief application: https://applications.deval.us/ & Call the Rent Relief Support Center to check up on your application: 703-962-1884
- Eviction Legal Helpline: Call 1-833-NoEvict
- Find your Legal Aid office: Call 1-866-LEGAL-AID
Please follow us on social media for information, online events, and regular updates: