The Vision
More Than a Roof aims not only to document the United States’ human right to housing crisis and the emerging social movement response, but more importantly, to serve as a movement building tool for communities and groups that are working on solutions to the crisis. A central goal of sharing More Than a Roof is to inspire communities to talk with one another and find points of unity through the framework provided by human rights, to use human rights to build alliances and shift public discourse , and to ultimately effect policies that ensure that the human right to housing is protected in the United States.
By sharing the film in gatherings around the country, we believe we can:
1. Flip the script
Challenging the mainstream media narrative that vilifies, silences, and isolates those who are actually victims of the human right to housing crisis, More Than a Roof presents a counter-narrative that acclaims, raises, and connects the aspirations and struggles of the most impacted by the crisis. The film encourages its viewers to speak out and be heard as the first step to building a movement.
2. Help build the base
A human rights organizing and movement media tool such as More Than a Roof intends to help strengthen grassroots organizations by supporting community leaders who are trying to expand and mobilize their membership and allies.
3. Bring together struggles
The film seeks to connect newly impacted populations with historically impacted populations, urban communities with rural communities, local efforts with national efforts, and national networks with each other and international networks, thus facilitating dialogue within the housing rights movement and between the movement and the broader public.