Purpose
The NCGA has failed to pass a state budget for over a year. As they start the 2021 legislative session, over $7.3 billion that could be spent RIGHT NOW sits untouched in the bank. And that number just goes up every day. That is the people’s money. With the devastating effects of COVID-19 on our communities, it is critical that the unreserved funds be used to address the needs of the people for survival now and thriving beyond. Healthcare, housing, and workers’ rights are the foundation of a People’s Budget.
Demands
The most vulnerable communities are the ones suffering the most from the delays at the NCGA–working and poor people, Black people, people of color, LGBTQ people, disabled people, elderly people, youth and students, parents, migrants and refugees, incarcerated people, the homeless, veterans, and women. We demand that the North Carolina General Assembly use the more than $5 billion in unreserved funds to give our communities healthcare, housing, and worker protections. These funds must be released in line with the needs of our communities, using racial equity as a guiding principle in decision-making.
Healthcare
Covid has exacerbated the racial and wealth disparities in healthcare in our state. We have the money to address this by expanding Medicaid fully to cover the over 680,000 unemployed and low wage workers that exist in our state’s healthcare gap.
Housing
1 of every 4 renter households in North Carolina has extremely low incomes. Most of these households are spending over half of their income on housing, leaving them unable to afford other necessities. Black and brown people are disproportionately evicted, unhoused, and unable to find affordable housing. We demand that the NCGA immediately release funds to place unhoused North Carolinians in safe and secure hotels or vacant apartments, allocate money to provide direct rent and mortgage relief for those who have fallen behind on payments during the pandemic, and ban source of income requirements in rental applications.
Worker Protections
Essential workers on the frontlines are Black and brown, female, working in nursing homes and the service industry – and these heroes are barely able to make ends meet. We demand living wages, an effective unemployment insurance benefits system, and paid leave for all.
Organizational Signers
- Action Institute NC
- Always Ready 2 Fight Reentry Resources
- Black Voters Matter Fund
- BREATHE Harnett
- Capital Area Food Network
- Carolina Federation
- Carolina Jews for Justice
- Center for Participatory Change
- Church of Reconciliation PC (USA)
- Church World Service NC
- Communication Workers of America
- Community Empowerment Fund
- Democracy NC
- Down Home North Carolina
- Durham People’s Alliance
- El Pueblo
- Faith 4 Justice Asheville
- Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce
- Health Care for All NC
- Interfaith Initiative for Social Justice
- Just Economics
- Little Listeners of the Carolinas
- Local Progress
- NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
- National Organization for Women (NOW) – Fayetteville Chapter
- NC Poor People’s Campaign
- NC Raise Up/the Fight for $15 and a Union
- North Carolina Council of Churches
- North Carolina Justice Center
- North Carolina Medicare 4 All
- North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, UE Local 150
- Orchid Bloom
- Our Sacred Circles / Women Dismantling Racism
- Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
- Poor People’s Campaign Triad (NC) Circle
- Progress NC
- Progressive Democrats of Orange County
- Racial Justice Coalition
- Raleigh Area Workers Assembly
- Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
- Save Our Sons
- Siembra NC
- SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
- Southern Vision Alliance
- Student Action with Farmworkers
- Sunrise Movement North Carolina
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hillsborough
- Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina
- Wake County Housing Justice Coalition
- Wake County Progressive Democrats
- Young Americans Protest
- YWCA of Asheville and WNC