1,200 people sign letters in support of providing more affordable housing and ensure the civil rights of immigrants

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A Charlottesville organization is looking for support from regional leaders to ensure affordable housing and civil rights for immigrants.

IMPACT is an interfaith organization that pushes for solutions to address community problems. Its Nehemiah Action event was scheduled for March 31 but was canceled due to stay at homeowners.

Instead, the organization sent letters to Charlottesville City Council, Albemarle Board of Supervisors, and the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail Authority Board.

"We know that the focus of government at all levels right now is around pandemic response. That being said, these deeper issues are still here and exacerbated by the pandemic and that's why it's even more important now to take action on them,” Sheila Herlihy, with IMPACT, said.

IMPACT also wants the jail to stop the practice of notifying immigration and customs enforcement when an undocumented immigrant is released.

05/05/2020 Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together Press Release:

On Tuesday, May 5, the IMPACT Organization will send letters to Charlottesville City Council, Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail Authority Board asking for their support and leadership to specific and proven solutions to provide more affordable homes and ensure the civil rights of immigrants.

IMPACT expected over 1,000 from member congregations to press officials on its solutions at its Nehemiah Action, originally scheduled on March 31, but was cancelled to comply with stay-at-home orders. IMPACT leadership is clear that this pandemic will push more families into poverty, homelessness and despair. So IMPACT’s leaders have agreed to continue to remind and press city, county and jail officials in virtual ways. The first of which are letters signed by the 1,200 of those who would have attended the Nehemiah Action in support of our solutions. The letters are attached to this message. Video summaries of IMPACT's research can be found at the following links: https://bit.ly/3c4DOyF https://bit.ly/2W0Z1E4

IMPACT will continue to stand with families that are impacted the most by the COVID-19 pandemic by pushing for local systemic solutions.

IMPACT is an interfaith, grassroots organization committed to training local leaders to identify, develop and push for solutions to address serious community problems IMPACT’s 25 diverse member congregations represent over 15,000 people and draw from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist faith traditions. What makes IMPACT unique from the 700+ other nonprofits in greater Charlottesville is that we harness the collective power of thousands of people within our congregations, which allows us to work on a systemic, policy level to transform our community.

For more information, contact IMPACT Lead Organizer, Josh Scott at 434 485 2139 or impact@impactcville.com to be referred to IMPACT’s leadership.