What has ACORN Accomplished?

This is a sampling of things ACORN has accomplished thus far.

Negotiated landmark agreements with banks in St. Louis, Baton Rouge, Boston, Bridgeport, New York City, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Denver, Little Rock, New Orleans, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Brooklyn, Des Moines, Dallas and Washington, D.C., making over a billion dollars available for loans in low-income neighborhoods. Blocked the gutting of the federal Community Reinvestment Act. Forced Fannie Mae to establish a precedent-setting program to buy community reinvestment mortgages.

Created or upgraded homesteading programs that turn over vacant houses to low-income residents in Philadelphia, Detroit, Brooklyn Bridgeport, Chicago, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Little Rock. Won passage of a national homesteading bill. Forced HUD to reform policies and procedures to make it easier for low and moderate-income people to purchase HUD-owned properties.

Won establishment of alternative public schools in ACORN® neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, Jersey City, and St. Paul. Improved school facilities and governance in Chicago, New York, San Jose, Little Rock and Bridgeport. Stopped school closings in Des Moines, won free transportation to schools in Little Rock, upgraded school safety in New Orleans and Detroit.

Taken a leadership role in more than a dozen jobs and living wage campaigns, including victories in Chicago, Cook County, Boston, Oakland, Detroit, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. To help build the growing living wage movement, ACORN has established the Living Wage Resource Center to provide assistance to living wage campaigns wherever they arise.

Secured "First Source" ordinances or agreements requiring developers to hire low-income unemployed residents in Miami, Washington, D.C., Bridgeport, Pittsburgh, Dallas, St. Louis, Little Rock and Des Moines.

Registered over 1.1 million new voters in 2004. Struck down barriers to voter registration in Bridgeport, Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Atlanta, Grand Rapids and Pittsburgh. Replaced at-large City Council elections with a district election system in Pine Bluff and Pittsburgh. Recruited and trained ACORN® members to run for public office in Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Philadelphia, Bridgeport, New York, San Jose, Chicago, Tulsa, St. Louis and Des Moines.

Forced companies to clean up, move, or cancel plans for toxic chemical plants, dumps, discharges, or waste incinerators in Memphis, Ft. Worth, Philadelphia, Des Moines, New Orleans, Dallas, Minneapolis, Jacksonville, St. Paul, Chicago, and St. Louis. Improved hospital care in Little Rock, Dallas and New York. Expanded childhood immunization in New Orleans. Organized parents of lead poisoning victims to pressure local governments for improved screening and treatment in New York, Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Forced police and city officials to respond more effectively to rapes in low-income neighborhoods and to establish rape-prevention programs in St. Louis, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans and Des Moines. Won programs to fight drugs, ranging from more police foot patrols to better recreation facilities in New Orleans, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Boston, and Detroit.