A recent research study we conducted at Invisible People reveals that a majority of people reject criminalizing homelessness when presented with housing-based solutions. Furthermore, there’s a growing divide and nuance between demographic segments and the benefits that motivate them. This toolkit leverages these insights to craft persuasive messages that resonate with different values and concerns.
Effectively communicating the benefits of housing solutions is crucial for building public support and driving policy change. This messaging toolkit provides a valuable resource for advocates, policymakers, and community members working to address homelessness and create more inclusive, thriving communities.
By understanding the diverse perspectives of different audiences and tailoring messages accordingly, we can build a powerful movement for housing justice and create lasting solutions to homelessness.
With this toolkit, you’ll discover how to craft stories that truly empower communities. It’s not about compromising your values—it’s about meeting people where they are, recognizing that different hearts and minds require different starting points. By honing your messaging, you’ll guide your audience to see the value in solutions that uplift everyone, turning each message into a powerful step toward meaningful, real-world change.
Picture a city street at dawn. The morning light reveals two parallel but rarely intersecting worlds: early-rising professionals hurrying to their first meetings pass by individuals just waking from another night of sleeping on the street. These worlds exist side by side, yet the conversation between them often feels impossible to bridge.
The language we use to discuss homelessness solutions can either build bridges or deepen divides. Through extensive demographic analysis and response pattern studies, we’ve uncovered a crucial insight: different communities process information about homelessness through distinctly different psychological frameworks. These aren’t just subtle variations—they represent fundamentally different ways of understanding both the problem and potential solutions.
By understanding each cluster’s values and decision-making patterns, and by toggling between altruistic and self-benefit messaging, you can spark meaningful action and advocacy for issues like homelessness, community health, and social programs. This is not about manipulation—it’s about framing the truth in ways that break through to people who can help.
First, understand your audience and tailor your message to their values and concerns. This might mean emphasizing cost savings for fiscally conservative audiences, or community well-being for more progressive groups.
Second, focus on solutions and use data to support your arguments. The toolkit provides a wealth of actionable insights that can be powerful in making the case for housing-first approaches.
