Jonathan Rose Cos. and League of Women Voters Launch “Rose Votes;” National campaign to support voter participation for low-income residents

NEW YORK, NY The League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) and Rose Community Management (RCM), an affiliate of Jonathan Rose Companies (JRCo), are joining forces to empower voters to make use of their electoral power in 2018.

Throughout September, LWVEF and RCM will collaborate to provide non-partisan voter registration and education in local communities through special events hosted at approximately 30 RCM properties nationwide totaling nearly 6,500 households. Attending residents will have the opportunity to register to vote, find out how to ensure their ballot will be counted, and learn how they can empower their friends, family, colleagues and neighbors to successfully participate in the 2018 mid-term elections.

The new program, co-lead by Andrew Foley and Timothy Smith, is an element of Jonathan Rose Companies’ initiative to create “Communities of Opportunity” at every property they own.  JRCo plans to expand this 2018 pilot voter registration program to their entire portfolio nationwide totaling more than 15,000 households, as well as other third-party owners and managers, in time for the 2020 elections. It encourages the nation’s other affordable housing owners to join them.

“We strongly encourage the active participation of our citizen residents in their communities to have a voice in shaping policies that affect their daily lives.,” said Jonathan Rose, president of JRCo. “Voting increases the chance that their voices will be heard.

Affordable housing is the platform upon which Communities of Opportunity are built. JRCo is dedicated to providing healthy, safe, green housing that is affordable to the young, the aging, those down on their luck, and America’s hard working lower and middle-income families. Key to the success of these efforts is connecting our residents to public and private social and health programs, lifelong education, access to healthy food, arts and culture, and a range of transportation options.

A recent Pew Research Center survey concluded that low income citizens are more likely not to vote for a variety of reasons. Rose Votes is a natural addition to building Communities of Opportunity by supporting participation in the electoral process and involvement in both local and national issues.

“The League of Women Voters Education Fund is excited to be a part of this effort,” said Chris Carson, president, League of Women Voters of the United States. “With Election Day looming, we’re taking any and all opportunities to talk with voters about how much their voice matters, help our neighbors make sure their voter registration is up to date and get them the information they need to cast a vote.”

A fixture in the voter engagement field for many decades, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters has more than 140,000 community-based volunteers nationwide, many of whom conduct voter registration, education, mobilization and protection year-round, every year. The League is active in all 50 states and more than 700 communities.

Sandra Priest Rose, Jonathan’s mother, was an active member of the League of Woman Voters, and he grew up accompanying her on voter registration drives as part of her civil rights activism.

Rose is honored to be able to carry on her commitment to equality for all.