This latest economic downturn has seen some alarming trends, among them a reported 200% rise in house fires. Studies indicate that certain zip codes have higher percentages of fires, and income is a key factor. Poverty...substandard housing...overcrowded quarters, as families take in others with no place to call home...abandoned buildings that provide a shield from brutal winter weather, albeit without heat or any comforts.

Every community experiences tragic house fires. Sometimes the households experiencing the fires have other resources, often not. Horrible loss of life too often occurs.

Millions of households struggling with poverty frequently live in sub-standard housing, either not having resources to fix it themselves or not being able to get the property owner to do repairs. Soaring utility bills further tax their ability to survive. When utilities are shut-off, desperate people do desperate things, like using unsafe means to stay warm. From this point, it's way too easy to become homeless.

ACTION

• Every city and town has a mayor.
  

• Mayors by nature are concerned about their community.

• They're also politically active, knowing politicians on county, state and federal levels.
• For fires in rural areas, we'll choose what seems to be the best legislator to petition.

HEAR US will remind mayors and legislatiors of the tragic consequences of this nation's failure to honor housing as a human right. We will set up bi-weekly petitions (via Change.org) to mayors (or other elected officials if it's a rural area) of communities where fires have destroyed lives. We'll ask elected officials to go up the food chain to urge state and federal legislators to make safe, decent affordable housing a priority.

Check and sign petitions.


Spread the word about this effort!