VALDOSTA — The Black to the Future Action Fund officially launched its Our Homes, Our Future housing justice campaign in Valdosta over the weekend. 

The initiative was introduced Friday evening at the VLPRA Senior Community Center and continued with community outreach during Saturday’s East Side Day celebration at Vallotton Park.

Organizers, community leaders, and elected officials, including Councilmember Nick Harden, Councilmember Sandra Tooley, housing advocate Kelley Saxon, and Omega Calhoun, rallied behind the initiative’s core policy goals. These goals include eliminating junk housing application fees and discriminatory requirements, slowing rent increases until income catches up, and increasing access to affordable housing near essential resources.

“This is the campaign that is for the people, that was driven by the people,” stated Denzel Russell,  communications deputy director of the Black to the Future Action Fund. “We believe that through this work in Valdosta, we can show people how to make change through this campaign.”

The Black to the Future Action Fund has led initiatives in Valdosta since 2022. Black Futures Lab, the organization behind the initiative, surveyed over 200,000 black Americans, which found housing affordability to be a top concern. According to Russell, hundreds of people are currently on affordable housing waitlists in Valdosta.

On Saturday, the group hosted a booth at East Side Day, complete with resources and one-on-one conversations with attendees. Residents were encouraged to ask questions and share their housing stories. Organizers said the booth helped spark meaningful dialogue, with many locals expressing gratitude that someone was finally addressing housing issues head-on.

“What we do is come in, and we show you how you build up political power and economic power in the community,” stated Omega Calhoun, lead Georgia organizer of Black to the Future Action Fund. “We’re starting to see people reach out to us and want to connect with us on how to fix the issue here in Valdosta.”

Russell discussed how the weekend’s launch was just the beginning of a sustained, community-driven effort to ensure families have access to safe, affordable housing. Supporters can visit www.black2thefuture.org to sign the petition and learn more about the campaign.