Messaging Affordable Housing

December 6, 2013

Chris Estes

President & CEO

National Housing Conference

@ChrisNHC

The Landscape

• Continued increase in need for affordable housing nationwide

• Ongoing budget cuts, stalemate put federal funding at risk

• Many states face significant cuts and shortfalls

• Public opinion of government programs, spending remains low

Our Approach

• Develop research on public opinion of housing issues & solutions

• Leverage public interest in other social issues to build support for affordable housing programs

• Use framing and messaging best practices

• Provide housing developers and advocates with resources to build communications capacity

RESEARCHOur Approach:

Communications Literature Review•Draws on 35 research studies related to affordable housing communications

•Summarizes key findings about public opinion, messages, language

•Provides suggestions for further research

Review of Research on Affordable Housing Communications

LEVERAGING INTEREST IN OTHER ISSUES

Our Approach:

Intersection of Housing and Other Social Issues

• “How Housing Matters” research partnership with MacArthur Foundation

• Research into connection between housing and economy, health, transportation, education

• Focus on subpopulations like veterans, older adults

FRAMING AND MESSAGINGOur Approach:

About Framing• Our minds are not blank slates; information is

filtered through existing knowledge, models, lived experience

• These “frames” help us understand new information

• Using appealing frames helps public, policymakers see housing issues from a positive point of view

• Example: “House” vs. “Home”

Framing and Messaging Best Practices• Begin with value statements: opportunity,

community, fairness

• Highlight solutions, not just problems

• Data should back up your argument, but is not an argument itself

• Choose messengers with whom your audience connects

• Reframe government by reminding audience of the “public structures” it creates and maintains

CAPACITY-BUILDING RESOURCES

Our Approach:

Providing Resources: Housing Communications HUB

HUB Resource Library

HUB Discussion Forum

Visit the HUB

http://hub.nhc.org

Thank You!Chris Estes

President & CEONational Housing Conference

202.466.2121 x230cestes@nhc.org

@ChrisNHC