Ten Ways to Frame Constructive Housing Messages

Anna Fahey presents the work of FrameWorks Institute in creating a blueprint for better messaging regarding housing.

FrameWorks Institute created the messaging recommendations for non-profit affordable housing developer Enterprise Community Partners, identifying six ways housing messages can backfire, and identifying ten ways to constructively reframe the conversation.

The list of messages "built to backfire" is a collection of "default patterns of thinking that hinder understanding of and support for affordability solutions." These are the arguments like "not in my backyard" and "crisis and fatalism" that will be familiar to anyone who has ever heard an argument opposing new housing, plus a few more perhaps new ways of looking at the why and how of housing opposition forces.

The ten ideas for a more constructive housing conversation includes recommendations like positioning people in stories about places and systems, stressing the connections between where we live and how we live, and focusing on positive change while acknowledging a history of inequality.

The article also includes a link to download a flashcard for easy reference of these ten guiding principles for positive and constructive housing messaging.