Advocacy

Adequate housing is a human right. However, it’s a right that is currently unobtainable for many. YWCA Cambridge has continuously advocated for housing since our founding in 1914. Housing is pivotal in providing economic and personal stability; by pricing out individuals of their communities, they are also being priced out of the opportunities within that community and only furthering the gap between low-income residents and those finding stable occupations.

Healthcare is a human right, extending past making healthcare more affordable. Continuously, the Commonwealth’s lower-income communities have disproportionately longer commutes and wait times to medical centers than higher-income communities. Along with wait times, non-white individuals are more likely to receive inadequate medical services. YWCA Cambridge has advocated for breaking down these inequalities and providing affordable, high-quality medical care because healthcare isn’t just a right; it’s the right to live.

YWCA is proud to be one of Cambridge's oldest and largest women’s shelters, providing services for women and their families in our community. Giving women and families opportunities beyond our two shelters has remained imperative to our equity and equality mission. We operate 103 Single-room occupancy rentals and hold ten families in our emergency shelter. Providing women and families with economic and social opportunities remains imperative to our mission of empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

We acknowledge disparities among race, gender identification, ethnicity, and religion. That’s why YWCA Cambridge continues to advocate for basic and equal rights.

YWCA has envisioned peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people since 1914. In 2016, numerous states passed legislation limiting mail-in voting efforts and making it more difficult for non-white communities to vote. Active participation in elections is crucial to mitigating the effects of significant partisan polarity seen in legislators. All around the Commonwealth, voting can be made more equitable to reach underrepresented communities and promote a more diverse group of representatives.