FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2005	Contact: Michele Anapol (202) 466-2121 x226 manapol@nhc.org

EXPERTS DETAIL PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT INCREASING
THE SUPPLY AND ACCEPTANCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Symposium Focuses on In-Depth Campaigns That are Changing Perceptions and Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing, Communities Nationwide
Urged to Embrace Similar Strategies

Washington, DC – The National Housing Conference (NHC) and The Campaign for Affordable Housing sponsored a National Policy Symposium today detailing public education campaigns that are making a difference in helping to increase the supply and acceptance of affordable housing. Expert panel discussions focused on examining ways for reaching the public and the media with messages related to affordable housing and highlighted several “best practice” examples of successful public education campaigns centered on housing activities. Organizations and communities nationwide were urged to embrace similar strategies to help ensure decent, affordable housing.

The first panel entitled Spread the Word: Effectively Educating the Public featured the Housing Illinois Campaign, a coalition of more than 40 housing advocacy organizations, planning organizations, faith-based service and financial institutions formed in 2001. The primary communications strategy for this Campaign focuses on the message that “Neighborhoods Succeed When Housing is Affordable” and it is working to help change some of the negative public perceptions that are sometimes associated with affordable housing, such as the belief that affordable housing increases crime and safety concerns and lowers property values.

Ultimately, through the Housing Illinois Campaign, a wide-reaching communications effort was developed to help increase the supply and acceptance of affordable housing in the Metropolitan Chicago area and throughout the entire state of Illinois. Focused television advertising is the cornerstone of the campaign, in addition to radio and print ads, as well as posters and brochures.

Board member for The Campaign for Affordable Housing Kevin Jackson, executive director of the Chicago Rehab Network, one of the organizations leading the Housing Illinois Campaign, detailed this campaign in a presentation at the Symposium. Additional experts participating in this first panel included Julie Bornstein, president of The Campaign for Affordable Housing, Maryann Haggerty, real estate editor for The Washington Post, and Barbara Lipman, research director for the Center for Housing Policy.

“Today’s Symposium provides a unique look at successful public education campaigns nationwide – offering a detailed framework of communications tools and resources that are succeeding in helping ensure decent, affordable housing,” said NHC President and CEO Conrad Egan. “One of our primary goals is to encourage other communities and organizations to help bridge the gap between the sometimes negative perceptions and the new realities of affordable housing.”

The second panel entitled Case Studies: Successful Advocacy Campaigns highlighted recent “best practices” in affordable housing education campaigns. Panelist and Board member for The Campaign for Affordable Housing Chip Halbach, executive director of Housing Minnesota, covered the evolution of Housing Minnesota’s efforts from messaging to public policy to advocacy. Housing Minnesota works with both organizations and individuals throughout the state to promote housing programs and policies that build support for safe, decent and affordable housing, and is a multi-year public education campaign that brings together diverse constituencies to promote and achieve “Homes for All” by 2012. Related activities include an annual “Lobby and Rally Day” at the State Capitol, timely “Action Alerts,” legislative summaries and other research.

NHC Chairman G. Allan Kingston, president and CEO of Century Housing, also detailed the Proposition 46 campaign, or the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2002. Specifically, Prop 46 is a $2.1 billion dollar bond measure that was approved by 3.6 million Californians, nearly 60 percent of voters, in November 2002. Prop 46 provides millions of dollars to help fund the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental housing, emergency shelters and homeless facilities, as well as funds that can be used to ensure down payment assistance for low and moderate income first-time homebuyers.

In one of the biggest successes for the affordable housing movement, housing advocates, faith-based groups, environmentalists, women’s organizations, labor unions, seniors and businesses came together to ensure that Prop 46 had one of the broadest and largest coalitions of support.

It is important to note that the National Policy Symposium was held following the June 15 NHC 2005 Housing Person of the Year Dinner honoring Stephen M. Ross, chairman and CEO of The Related Companies, L.P., and chairman and founder of CharterMac. The Related Companies was formed by Ross in 1972 and oversees a real estate portfolio valued at over $12 billion. CharterMac, through its subsidiaries, is one of the nation’s leading full-service real estate finance companies, with a strong core focus on multifamily financing.

Internet Links to Symposium Related Resources:

Housing Illinois
www.HousingIllinois.org

Housing Minnesota
www.HousingMinnesota.org

California Housing Finance Agency - Proposition 46 Overview
www.Calhfa.ca.gov/prop46.htm

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