Messaging Think Tank for Affordable Housing

In 2008, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance engaged in a research project to discover the messages about affordable and supportive housing that resonate most with the people of Washington State.

The Messaging Think Tank represents an historic opportunity for us to work together to create a sea change in the way our neighbors-- and our legislators-- think about affordable housing.

The Messages

You can access a copy of the messages here: MessagesThatWork.pdf

For wallet-sized versions of the messages, please contact Amy Clark.

The Process:

1. Gather stakeholders from around the housing community to talk about the messages our community needs and the kinds of messages and ideas we want to test
2. Hold 4 focus groups around Washington State to learn about what the people of our state value, and how they feel about affordable housing
3. Conduct a statewide poll to develop a final picture of the messages that will resonate with Washington residents. Read about the results here (opens a PDF document)
4. Train people across the housing community in using the refined messages to better communicate with policy leaders and influential people at all levels

Important Upcoming Events:

Currently, Housing Alliance staff are working with groups across the state to train members of the affordable housing community in how to use the messages effectively.

Resources and Research:

Please consult the following publications to learn more about this work (these files are PDF format and will open in a new window):

Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. Messaging Think Tank Concept Paper.

Salmon, CT, Post, LA & Christensen, RE. Mobilizing Public Will for Social Change.

Berkeley Media Studies Group. Moving from Head to Heart: Using Media Advocacy to Talk about Affordable Housing.

For more information, please contact Amy Clark.