Episode 5: Activism and ACORN: The Global Fight for Affordable and Livable Housing with Wade Rathke

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

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Welcome back to YIMBY Nation! Joining us in conversation today is Wade Rathke, from ACORN International, which fights for the basic rights of people – better security, health, housing, education, and employment conditions, and more responsive, truly representative government. You’ll hear about Wade’s long and groundbreaking history with the organization, starting with working to bring laws into policy to be able to enact change in the fight for affordable and livable housing worldwide. The hosts of YIMBY Nation and Wade delve into the current state of our world with stark realism, and a hopeful gaze at the future, as well as revealing how ACORN’s work differs in the US, Canada, Peru, Africa, India, and beyond. We hope you join us to hear all of this and more today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Wade Rathke.
• Wade’s history with ACORN International, working in 15 countries across the world. It has local offices in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Canada, India, and Kenya and partnerships in Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.
• The current state of marginalized communities.
• Why the show hosts and Wade have been so involved in empowering communities facing social issues like economic development and fair housing.
• How fighting for housing rights differs in the US and other countries.
• The importance of ACORN being a membership organization and not an NGO.
• The backwards movement in US welfare.
• What Wade finds hopeful about the global approach to welfare and housing.
• A reflection with Wade and the hosts on if they believe they have changed the world in the way they intended through advocacy.
• How the commitment to equitable housing has shifted over time.
• How resources and obstacles change across the globe although people want the same things.
• What ACORN does to ensure the same approach across different affiliates in different countries.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Acorn International
Wade Rathke on Twitter
Wade Rathke on LinkedIn
Wade's Website
Wade Rathke on Email

Vincencia Adusei on LinkedIn

Vincencia Adusei on Twitter

VASE Construction

Jimmy Miller on LinkedIn

Censere Consulting

Peter Wood on LinkedIn

YIMBY Nation Email

YIMBY Nation