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New York, NY— Today, Run for Something Civics launched a new campaign spotlighting the urgent need for renters to be represented in civic leadership and providing resources for them to learn more about running for state and local offices. The campaign, which will include educational ads, digital resources, influencer partnerships, and other content, highlights the disproportionate number of Gen Z and millennial renters and their lack of representation in the places where critical decisions about housing are made.
“Young people in the rental market are experiencing the housing crisis in a totally different way,” said Run for Something President and Co-Founder Amanda Litman. “With housing costs climbing, they feel like home ownership – the quintessential American dream symbol – is forever out of reach, and no one is tackling it with the urgency it demands. This campaign is step one in recognizing the important role renters have to play in civic leadership and giving them the tools they need to show up for their communities.”
This campaign comes as the cost of living is soaring, rents are rising, and the housing shortage continues to drag on with no end in sight. About two-thirds (65.9%) of Americans under 35 live in rentals, meaning young renters are living day in and day out with the consequences of our nation’s housing crisis.
Meanwhile, both young people and renters at large are wildly underrepresented at all levels of the government. While 34% of Americans rent their homes, one study found that at least 80% of senators, federal judges, members of Congress, mayors, city councilors, state senators and representatives, and governors are homeowners.
Run for Something Civics’ renter representation campaign is the final push of the organization’s Next 100 Days effort, which launched just after the first 100 days of this administration. The program provides potential civic leaders with the guidance, training, and resources necessary to engage in public service, including running for office. Through the organization’s Future Candidate Trainings, young people will be equipped with the tools to understand the responsibilities and impact of local offices, learn the steps to launch a campaign, and help them envision themselves as civic leaders.
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The Run for Something network includes Run for Something Civics, Run for Something Action Fund, and Run for Something PAC. Run for Something Civics is a fiscally-sponsored 501(c)(3) that promotes youth leadership and encourages young people from diverse backgrounds to run for elected office at all levels in order to create a more reflective democracy. For more information, visit runforsomethingcivics.net.
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