A Newcastle housing union is encouraging the region’s vulnerable adults to vote in the 2017 general election.
The ACORN group support individuals and campaign for renters in the UK.
They group knew they had to help vulnerable North East adults to register to vote when Theresa May announced that a snap election would take place on June 8 this year.
Volunteers have already taken to the streets to talk to tenants in emergency accommodation as well as sofa surfers, people in refuges, people on mental health wards and travelling communities to ensure they are registered to vote.
Emily Rainsford, 30, a volunteer at ACORN, said: “Just because you don’t have somewhere stable to live doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a political voice.”
Organiser of the campaign, Tom Scott, added: “Those who don’t vote could have a massive effect on the upcoming election.
“It’s not just apathy, some people who are most effected by government policy don’t vote because it’s been made really hard for them to do so.
“We want to challenge that and make sure everyone has a say.
“Nothing will change unless we make it.”
The group will be working until the voter registration deadline on May 22 and afterwards will ensure the people they talk to use their votes on polling day.
They are also hoping to talk to people who live in unstable accommodation about the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.
Ellen Moran, team leader for outreach at the union, said: “We are talking to these people to find out how we can alleviate these problems and make their lives easier.
“We want to talk to the disenfranchised in order to give them a voice. It’s important to hear everyone’s side of the story.”
To get involved in ACORN’s campaign visit rentersvote.org.uk, join the ACORN Newcastle Organising Group on Facebook, e-mail newcastle@acorncommunities.org.uk or call/text 07508956920.
You can follow the group’s progress via the hashtag #RenterVote on social media.
To register to vote visit here.