As we headed into spring, New Virginia Majority and our hub organizations marched into action for tenants rights, affordable housing, gig worker justice, leadership building, and more. Read our work this past month below:
New Virginia Majority Richmond Chapter
- This month, the Richmond chapter began the first of 10 leadership workshops on how government works and how advocacy groups can create change. The focus was on personal narrative building.
- The chapter also hosted its bi-weekly pizza night in Brookside apartments to train leaders to run their own meetings.
- Last week, the chapter kicked off a monthly legal clinic with four lawyers to help members understand tenant rights and offer strategies to get landlords to fulfill their obligations.
- The Richmond chapter also met with the NVM Tenants Association Leadership Council to discuss plans for larger city-wide efforts. Members are gearing up to urge city council on May 28th to provide more protections for issues such as high rates of evictions, rent hikes, and poor maintenance.
- On Saturday, March 30th, leaders at Brookside celebrated Easter with a Community Day filled with family activities to unite and strengthen the group as they fight for housing justice.
Richmond Chapter’s March activities included a Leadership Workshop kick off
Pizza Night, Legal Clinic, and more.
New Virginia Majority Loudoun Chapter
- On March 2nd, members and allies of New Virginia Majority Loudoun advocated for an increase of ½ cent, meaning more than $14 million for affordable housing. These funds must be applied to a county-run housing voucher program for working-class families earning less than 40% of area median income (AMI).
- On March 8th, 120 members gathered on International Women’s Day to honor the legacy of past movement leaders and celebrate the progress made.
- On March 16th, the Loudoun and Western Fairfax Chapter hosted a workshop for those interested in taking leadership roles within the Housing Justice and Education Justice campaigns. Members pledged to actively plan and strategize for the campaigns to build working-class power.
Loudoun Chapter’s affordable housing advocacy, International Women’s Day
event, and leadership interest workshop.
Tenants And Workers United (TWU)
- TWU members mobilized in Alexandria City at the Council’s first 2025 budget public hearing, presenting their stories, community needs, and demands for $10 million for a local housing voucher program, $10 million for the expansion of the guaranteed income pilot program, and funding for housing developments with units at and below 40% of the AMI.
- In Fairfax County, mobile home coalition members practiced storytelling and creating clear demands for the County’s 2025 budget.
- TWU members in Prince William County attended the first 2025 budget public hearing to advocate for the creation of a Housing Trust Fund and for $5 million to be added to it.
Virginia Black Organizing Collaborative (VA BLOC)
- In March, VA BLOC continued its GOTV work for the primaries and attended the Aging Forum hosted by the Peninsula Agency on Aging, making connections for future workshops and pop-ups as well as assisting Virginia’s aging population in accessing the ballot.
- In continuing our session advocacy, the Action Squad responded to the action alerts on the tracked bills that passed the General Assembly, including the minimum wage bills SB/HB 1, and statements were sent to the governor's office.
VA BLOC Highlights
Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Collaborative (ACE Collaborative)
- Valentine’s Day Global Protest: On February 14th, ACE Collaborative and DMV Driver’s Alliance continued to make progress in their work for AAPI and communities of color that work in the gig economy by participating in the Valentine’s Global Protest against plummeting compensation for drivers and skyrocketing deactivations. The event included a press conference at Washington National Airport and a 100-car rally into Washington, D.C.
- Passage of HB 924: Through intensive lobbying, in-person testimonies, letters, and online actions, Virginia drivers and allies successfully pushed lawmakers to pass HB924, which requires transportation companies like Uber and Lyft to be transparent about how they pay their drivers, how drivers are deactivated from the app - and to report these figures and other information to the DMV. The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature.
- Celebrating Women’s History Month: On March 26th, a Women Drivers Appreciation Day was held in Alexandria, enjoying food and refreshments while sharing unique working conditions women face.
Women Drivers Appreciation Day in Alexandria
New Virginia Majority Policy Team
- The General Assembly adjourned on March 9, 2024 after a fast and furious 60-day session. Lawmakers passed 1,046 bills and an amended budget that included $2.5 billion in new funding for K-12 public education, a 3% salary increase for teachers and state employees, $37,500,000 million for the Virginia Housing Production Trust Fund, $6,400,000 to place restrictions on the use of solitary confinement, and requires the governor to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). On April 17, 2024, the legislature will consider the Governor’s recommendations and veto legislation.
New Virginia Majority Political Team
- NVM’s Election Crisis Director Matt Butler presented to volunteers how conspiracy theories are impacting our elections and ways to protect election workers. Action Alert: The political team has been busy calling voters across the commonwealth to let them know about the important bills sitting on the Governor's desk waiting to be signed. We're currently focusing on SB 364 which protects election workers from doxxing or intimidation, and makes it illegal to prevent an election worker from administering an election. You can share your thoughts with the governor about this bill or any other issues that are important to you by dialing 804-786-2211, or emailing [email protected].
- New Virginia Majority will host its next Volunteer meeting on April 25th, click here to sign up!
NVM In the News