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Social Policy Committee

The Social Policy Committee engages in education and advocacy related to social policy issues. It is currently focused on Housing & Homelessness but has also produced education on immigration issues. Work on criminal justice has been suspended but can be reactivated at any time a member or members have an issue they wish to pursue.

Chair - Glenn Silloway

Contact - socialpolicy@lwvslo.org

Meetings - The second Thursday of each month at 4:00 AM on Zoom

Housing & Homelessness, Criminal Justice, and Immigration have all been identified as program priorities by members in recent years. The on-going emphasis on Housing & Homelessness parallels the statewide concerns about the issues of homelessness and affordable housing. This has been one of the top issues in California for a decade. We urge members to participate in the committee on this or any other social policy issue that concerns them. Input and feedback welcome: contact socialpolicy@lwvslo.org.

We also urge you to look at the Positions and Resources listed below if you are interested in these issues. These webpages and documents describe League positions and action in detail . Importantly, they are the basis on which we as a League can educate and advocate about specific issues of concern.

Housing & Homelessness

The Housing & Homelessness Subcommittee educates and advocates for affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness. Since 2020, the LWV SLOCO Program has included housing & homelessness as a priority focus. See full Program Plan and our local Positions here

Why focus on Housing & Homelessness?

Affordable housing and homelessness are among the most intractable social issues of our time. Organizations and individuals have struggled for years to respond effectively to these issues. Markets and social dynamics are producing people who experience homelessness faster than we can support them.

The LWV SLOCO has long advocated for affordable housing. Our League studied the need for affordable housing in 2002 and 2003, and published a Workforce Housing Study Report in 2004. We then adopted our own position on Workforce Housing in 2004. This position supports our continued advocacy and remains fully relevant today.

What You Can Do

Join the Housing & Homelessness Subcommittee to receive extra information about the issues and help shape the League’s activity. Contact Glenn Silloway at socialpolicy@lwvslo.org. Here are some areas for involvement:

Attend the monthly zoom meeting. Participate in conversations about what’s going on in the county and how we as a committee or a League can help.

Volunteer with one of the County's service providers and provide us with feedback on your experiences.

Monitor the meetings of a public agency, committee or subcommittee when they discuss housing and homelessness issues.

Keep track of articles and reports about Housing and Homelessness in the County and forward the reports to the committee.

Join a League of Women Voters California (LWVC.org) Google group to follow discussions and actions around the state and share your findings with the subcommittee.

Positions:

See LWV SLOCO Program Planning and Positions on affordable housing and homelessness here
See LWVC Position here: Homelessness Action Policy
See LWVUS and LWVC positions that authorize League advocacy on homelessness here

Resources:

Watch LWV SLOCO webinars on housing and homelessness issues here
5 Year Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness: view the adopted plan here
County Homeless Services Oversight Council (HSOC)
LWVC Homelessness Action Policy Toolkit
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)/Housing Element Toolkit

Criminal Justice

The Social Policy Committee is not currently working on this topic.

The Criminal Justice Subcommittee educates and advocates on criminal justice issues. The LWV SLOCO Program includes Criminal Justice Reform as a continuing area for education and advocacy.

Positions:
See LWV SLOCO Program Planning and Positions on criminal justice here

Resources:
Watch LWV SLOCO webinars on criminal justice issues here.
See information from LWV California here.