our policy platform
“A world in which poverty and inequity are endemic will always be prone to ecological and other crises.”
— Brundtland Report, 1987
Check out the issues important to us below and take action to support the current bills we are following.
Our Approach to Advocacy
Faith in Place Action Fund's mission is to empower people, clergy, and elected officials to make a positive difference in the areas of energy and climate change, sustainable food and land use, and water preservation to care for the Earth through political advocacy, legislative education, and grassroots lobbying.
We believe that climate disruption is among the greatest challenges that humanity has ever encountered and we are committed to the moral imperative of preserving and protecting the planet for generations to come.
We advocate for policies that uplift environmental justice, water justice, food justice, climate justice, and economic justice at both the state and federal level.
We support leaders who prioritize climate justice, hold accountable leaders that do not, and work toward policies that make voting easier for all citizens.
Faith in Place Action Fund supports policies which:
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Help communities that suffer the most
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Follow the leadership of communities on the frontlines of crises
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Dismantle systemic racism
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Hold legislators accountable
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Build wealth pathways for communities most harmed by environmental pollution
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Address mass incarceration
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Preserve the environment
Environmental Health
We Believe
We believe all people should live in a healthy community with access to green space, healthy soil, clean air and water, and fresh food. Everyone deserves equal protection from environmental hazards and access to the decision-making process impacting their community's environment. We support policies that address the cessation and clean up of environmental pollution and policies that increase access for community members to those making decisions about the environment in which they live.
The Problem
Environmental pollution impacts communities across the United States. Air, water, soil, noise, heat, radioactive and light pollution all impact health and well-being and cause one in six deaths globally. Sources of pollution include agriculture, industrial production, burning of fossil fuels, transportation, waste dumping, and more.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
An estimated 70% of contaminated waste sites are located in low-income neighborhoods. Black and Hispanic communities are exposed to higher proportions of air pollution, toxic waste sites, landfills, lead poisoning, and other industrial complexes compared to white counterparts. No single group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, or commercial operations or federal, state, and local policies.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives that advocate for equal access to those making decisions about environmental pollution for all communities and policies that directly address the sources and clean up of environmental toxins.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
WI | Environmental Justice and Community Protection Act | AB 796 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/ab796 |
IN | PFAS Water Safety Standards | HB 1085 | http:// https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1085/details |
IN | PFAS Chemicals | HB 1399 | https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1399/details |
climate change
We Believe
We believe current and future generations deserve a livable climate with access to healthy land and oceans and without extreme temperatures, stronger storms and wildfires, and droughts. We believe reducing the impacts of the warming planet is possible and reducing reliance on fossil fuels is of critical importance. We also believe in the power of communities to know the best way to build their own resilience to climate change and the need to ensure every voice is heard.
The Problem
Centuries of colonization and the burning of fossil fuels for energy production have significantly harmed people and the planet. The extraction and burning of fossil fuels release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and in oceans. This heat has slowly warmed to Earth's temperature causing numerous impacts from increased flooding, storms, rising sea levels, and droughts to extreme temperatures, to the death of plants and animals across the globe. These impacts cause harm to human health, economies, homes, cultural identities and more. It is projected that 1.2 billion people will be climate refugees by 2050. And in the US alone, over 170,000 people die each year from extreme temperatures, a number only projected to grow with climate change.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
Climate change is a threat to everyone’s physical and mental health and economic well-being but the impacts of climate change are experienced most strongly among the communities least responsible for the crises. Some people are more vulnerable to the impacts of a warming climate because of where they live, their health, income, language barriers, and limited access to resources. In the U.S., these more vulnerable communities are largely the communities of color, immigrants, low-income communities, and people for whom English is not their native language. In addressing the crisis, solutions that simultaneously replace fossil fuels with renewable energy while investing in the communities harmed most by climate change's effects are needed.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives and policies that address climate change by moving economies to reliance on renewable energy while investing in the communities that have not historically benefited from the transition to clean energy including communities of color and communities reliant on fossil fuel industries.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
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Federal | 2024 Farm Bill | https://www.faithinplaceaction.org/equitable-farm-bill | |
IL | EV Infrastructure Act | HB 4131 | https://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=4131&GAID=17&GA=103&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=150490&SessionID=112 |
IN | Agrivoltaics Task Force | SB 177 | http:// https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/177/details |
IN | Community Solar Facilities | HB 1193 | https://secure.everyaction.com/ebwj8H_EzU6D6sYcdD6kuA2 |
Federal | Earth Bill | HB 598 | https://www.earthbill.org |
IL | Chicago Clean & Affordable Buildings Ordinance | N/A | https://www.faithinplaceaction.org/chicago-clean-buildings-clean-air |
clean water
We Believe
We believe all people should live in neighborhoods with proper storm drainage and have access to clean, safe drinking water and dry, mold-free homes.
The Problem
Water sources and drinking water can be contaminated by chemicals and microbes from industry, human waste, lead pipes, water treatments, and natural sources. These toxins can negatively impact human health and development creating both short and long term health effects. In addition to exposure to polluted water, 2 million Americans live within a mile of sites that are vulnerable to flooding—the majority of which are communities of color.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
Polluted water from fracking sources, old water infrastructure, and industrial runoff impact more rural, tribal, immigrant and refugee communities in the United States.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives that support equal access to those making decisions about environmental pollution for all communities and policies that directly address the sources and clean up of environmental toxins.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
IN | Wetlands | HB 1383 | https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1383/details |
IN | Assessment of Wetlands Classified as Wildland | SB 246 | https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/246/details |
Economic Justice
We Believe
We believe all people should have access to the finances, information, and connections necessary to live with economic resilience. This includes being able to access well-paying careers and afford clean and safe housing, nourishing food, and education.
The Problem
Poverty is increasing in the United States with more than one in ten people living below the poverty threshold. Poverty is linked to inadequate food, unsafe housing and being unhoused, lack of access to medical care and good education, and not having the social network required to access more resources.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
Communities of color, women, children, and older adults are disproportionately affected by poverty. For example, while just over 8 percent of non-Hispanic Whites were in poverty in 2020, 17 percent of Hispanics and 19.5 percent of Blacks were in poverty.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives that provide education, career preparation, business incubators, fair wages and benefits for all, and a moratorium on utility shut-offs especially those living in communities harmed by environmental injustice and mass incarceration.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
IN | Committee on Climate Resilience and Economic Growth | HB 1172 | https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1172/details |
Food Access
We Believe
We believe all people should have easy, affordable access to healthy, nutritious food.
The Problem
Many communities across the United States lack access to healthy and affordable food. Some communities do not have grocery stores and rather depend on fast food and convenience shops for food, which can be costly and less nutritious. Learn about food access in your area with this map.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
Due to a history of discrimination and systemic racism, communities of color experience higher rates of food insecurity than white communities. Around 24% of Black Americans, 19% of Latinx Americans, and a significant proportion U.S. Indigenous communities experienced food insecurity in 2020 compared to 7.1% in white households.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives that build sustainable food systems in communities most affected by a lack of access to healthy food. This includes: funding Congregation Supported Agriculture, planting community gardens, advocating for just food policies, and providing grants to support local sustainable food efforts.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | No Current Bills | N/A |
Voting Rights
We Believe
We believe every U.S. Citizen should have the right to easily cast a vote during an election.
The Problem
Elections are crucial to democracy, ensuring people have a voice in their government. Our election system is becoming restrictive, suppressing voices and leaving policies to be made by lawmakers representing only part of the population. Currently, efforts to restrict voting access through the requirement of additional identification, restricting mail-in ballot access, and complicating the voter registration process are just a few of the many ways voting is made more challenging.
Why Is This A Matter of Justice?
A history of discriminatory voting practices in combination with the current effort to make casting a ballot more challenging often disproportionately affects communities of color.
Solutions
Faith in Place Action Fund supports initiatives that help get out the vote, protect easy voter access, and educate communities about upcoming elections.
Bills We're Watching & Ways to Take Action
State/Federal | Bill Name | Bill Number | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | No Current Bills | N/A |