This is a guest blog post written by YIMBY Fort Collins Volunteer Leader, Kate Conley.
At YIMBY Fort Collins, we found ourselves with a list of volunteer members keen to help advocate for more homes in our neighborhood. But there aren’t always as many beginner-friendly volunteer actions for housing policy as there are for other causes, like a trash-pick up event to keep parks climate-friendly. Public testimony is THE most important way we make our voices heard. We had volunteers ready to mobilize, but first, we had to figure out how to get our members to say YES to public comment.
To lower the intimidation factor, we decided to host a free workshop with step-by-step support to help our members turn their lived experiences into public testimony that would shine at any city council meeting or committee hearing. As we all know, NIMBYs have no problem stepping up to the mic, so we need our YIMBYs to feel the same way!
Here’s how to host your own public comment training for YIMBYs in your area:
Step 1: Download and print our worksheet
Here is a free one-page worksheet that lists all the steps to craft a strong 2-minute public testimony that we used during our workshop. We recommend making copies for each attendee. Also check out YIMBY Action’s training on how to tell your housing story!
Step 2: Book a private space
Reserve a space where your group can speak and hear each other without outside noise or non-attendees in the vicinity. Public speaking is scary for many people, so it’s important to create a sense of safety where participants can practice their comments for each other without being widely observed.
We used resources from YIMBY Action National to help book a space, but local libraries and community centers often have spaces available for free for nonprofit organizations. Make sure to choose a space that has enough table room and seating for everyone. You’ll see why in the next step. (Note: this training also works well virtually, if you can’t find a space)
Step 3: Craft your comments together, step-by-step
Have your participants actually draft their public comment in real time. Pause for a minute or two between steps, so people have time to write. This workflow breaks the writing down into small, approachable pieces. We suggest giving a few examples from your own past public testimonies to demonstrate voice and content.
Step 4: Practice for each other
This is the most important step. Ask volunteers to practice the testimony they’ve just written in front of the group. Try to get everyone to participate!
There may be 1 or 2 holdouts, but that’s okay. The goal is to break through everyone’s nerves about making public testimony in front of a small, sympathetic, and encouraging group. Make space for questions and feedback! We found this collaboration to be the most rewarding part of our workshop.
Step 5: Give participants an immediate next step
Timing your workshop around a public comment opportunity is key! We scheduled ours two weeks before a city council meeting where housing was on the agenda.
Encourage attendees to put their new skills to the test at the upcoming meeting. We got at least one message from a participant afterward saying she used her workshop skills to do just that! You can even consider helping them sign up online during your training.
Use these steps to channel energy from excited volunteers so that you can grow your YIMBY power in and fight for a future of abundant housing for all!
Join YIMBY Action to find your local chapter and get plugged in to our power-building work if you're not already.