Dear ,

Legislators and their aides knew VICPP was in the house – the House and Senate, that is! Last Wednesday, VICPP held its first in-person Day for All People since 2020. It was a joy to see everyone. See some pictures below in this edition of the Weekly Roundup. Tomorrow we are helping staff the United Methodist Day at the General Assembly, and then next week, our Student Day of Action will bring another 100 advocates to the General Assembly. VICPP is definitely “in the house.” 

This past weekend, VICPP advocates and our Virginia Organizing allies organized 10 prayer vigils around the Commonwealth as part of the Statewide Day of Action & Prayer for Affordable Housing. The vigils highlighted the need for Virginia’s budget to devote more resources to building affordable housing, providing rental assistance, and stopping evictions. See below for snippets of the media coverage these events garnered around Virginia -- This is how we spread awareness of this and other important issues we work on. Money for affordable housing will likely be one of the last things decided this session because the budget is usually the last item voted upon. Consequently, we will keep pushing! 

Your dedicated advocacy is having an impact. Here’s some of the positive movement forward: 

Criminal Justice Reform

• Solitary confinement bill got out of the Senate Committee and was referred to Finance.
• Profiteering bills got out of the Senate and were also referred to Finance. House bill was killed in subcommittee. 

Housing 

• One important tenant rights bill (expanding “pay-or-quit" from 5 to 14 days) passed the full Senate floor! We now wait for crossover to see how it goes in the House. 
  
• On the House side, one bill (which would require landlords to notify tenants of rent increases two months out) passed the General Laws committee. It will be headed to the House floor soon. 
  
• Budget amendments are now visible on the website. We will continue conversations with the Appropriations committees to make sure Virginia dedicates money to fund affordable housing, rental vouchers, and eviction prevention. 
  

Health Equity 

• Two of the maternal health bills got out of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and are headed to the House floor. 
  

Working Families 

• The House Paid Sick Day bill was killed in subcommittee, but we had a good conversation on the issue led by Delegate Guzman. The Senate bill should be up next week. 
  

It is tough to keep track of all the bills, let alone remember all the numbers. Here’s the bill tracker that is updated regularly by VICPP Faith Organizer, Sheila Herlihy Hennessee. 

Thank you for your continued advocacy. It matters. VICPP is in the house! 

Tromping the halls, 

Kim Bobo
Executive Director

Students of Virginia -- Join us to learn the legislative process in Virginia and how to advocate with your elected representatives! Come into Richmond Thursday evening (Feb. 2) for dinner with legislators, an overview of how to lobby, and a social time. Friday morning (Feb. 3), we will start the day with an opportunity to meet with your representatives in the General Assembly. Afterward, we will have lunch and workshops on how to bring advocacy to campus, and standing up for justice in various spheres. Keep an eye out for workshop registrations coming son! 

Bonus: We're working with some universities for professors to offer class credit when you attend this event! Check with your professor to find out if you qualify.

Questions? Email VICPP New Leadership Development Organizer Dr. Terri Erwin at: Terri@virginiainterfaithcenter.org

Click the button below for event info and to register!

Last week at VICPP was eventful (to say the least)! Our flagship annual event, Day For All People (DFAP), took place on Jan. 18. There were LOTS of photos taken, some graciously shared with us by our photographer-attendees, some by our VICPP communications team. There are so many photos that we created an online album for you to access and view all of them at your heart's delight. 

We encourage you to post these photos on social media and share about your experience at DFAP. Be sure to tag our socials @vainterfaith and use these hashtags: #DayForAllPeople #dfap2023

Did you take a photo that's in our album? Let us credit you for your photography skills! Email ayeshaGT@virginiainterfaithcenter.org to have your name added as a photo credit. Want a photo you're pictured in removed? We value your privacy. Just email Ayesha and we'll take care of it. 

Watch this space for video footage of Day For All People happenings and more photos... coming soon. 

You did not rest after Day For All People ended. And neither did we. Instead, you answered our call to action and joined VICPP in holding a Statewide Day of Action & Prayer for Affordable Housing. Technically speaking, it ended up being a long weekend of action, with the last event taking place yesterday evening in Wytheville. Thank you to Virginia Organizing for partnering with us to raise awareness for the need to include funding in Virginia's budget for affordable housing. With your dedication, we were able to hold ten vigils across the Commonwealth! Thank you to all who participated and helped get more Virginians to email their legislators and tell them how important this is to you, their constituents. 

In case you haven't already done so, be sure to add your name and voice to this important message by CLICKING HERE and using our easy form to send a pre-filled message to your legislators, or write in your own message.

Click the button below to view photos and information about each of the ten vigil events. For your ease, we've separated each vigil into its own album. 

The holiday season continues for Virginians of all faiths. The GA is up and running. And VICPP still has suggestions of ways to advocate justice in the community! Our team has put together an interfaith calendar marking the festivities of different faith traditions in Virginia from now through February, along with a series of actions you can take to make sure justice plays a role in your celebrations. There are many fun, engaging, and impactful opportunities to engage people of all faiths and goodwill. Plus, it's easy to print and share! Please share widely, in your congregation’s newsletter or bulletin boards, and with friends. Simply click the button below and be sure to share the link!

For a more comprehensive list of upcoming events, please click the button below to check out the VICPP Events webpage.  

TV News Story: Rally for Affordable Housing

NBC 12 News at 11

Aired Jan. 21, 2023

News at 6: Vigil calls for more affordable housing

NBC29 News - WVIR Charlottesville, VA, Jan. 22, 2023

By Bria Stith

WHSV News Tonight: Vigil held in hopes for affordable housing to be reality again

WHSV 3 ABC FOX, Jan. 22, 2023

By Cora Dickey