NBNPHA 2014 Conference Saint John Workshop C - Getting the Word Out on Affordable Housing

Getting the Word Out on Affordable Housing

David Granovsky, Government Relations Co-ordinator, CHF Canada and Tim Ross, New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association Inc.

May 9, 2014

Introduction and Context

Introduction

New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association Context

2

CHF Canada’s Government Relations Efforts

2009 & 2013: Our GR efforts have been recognized on two separate occasions in the Hill Times as one of the top 100 Lobbyists

2009-10 & 2010-11: Millions in funding for co-ops in Canada’s Economic Action Plan

July 2011: The creation of the Affordable Housing Framework

January 2013: New credit union financing for co-op modernization and repair

November 2013: Subsidy Surplus Fund

3

How We Achieved Our Goals?

Clear and concise recommendations

Speak the federal government’s language

Build and maintain relationships with MPs and political staff

Presence on Parliament Hill

Alliances with key stakeholder groups

4

National campaign: You Hold the Key – Fix the Co-op Housing Crunch

A National Campaign

Governments need to act now to maintain rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance

Some of our key allies on this issue

The end of rent support for low-income people is the most important issue for the co-op housing movement

5

Meeting with your local MP/MLA and Ministers

Before you meet with your MP/MLA, Minister of Social Development and Minister Responsible for CMHC, you will need to:

o Contact the constituency/legislative office

o Know what to include in the request

o Who is involved?

o How much time you are given?

o The meeting

o Follow-up

6

2014: An Election Year in New Brunswick

Advice that CHF Canada can offer for September 22 Provincial Election

o 2011 federal election campaign

o Meet and greets, co-op delegation visits with federal candidates in closely contested ridings

o Media

o What we learned?

7

Selling your Story to the Media

Your organization may face challenges

Is your story is newsworthy?

On January 22, Global National News ran a story on the end of RGI subsidies

http://globalnews.ca/news/1100348/co-op-housing-subsidy-to-end/

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The Press Release

How did we manage to get Global National News to cover this story?

The answer lies in how you sell your story

You need an effective press release

Tips and tools that will help your organization

Before you try to promote your event, you need an effective press release.

Here are some tips and tools that will help your co-op get an event covered by the local media.

9

Drafting an Effective Press Release

Your press release has to have a strong headline (title)

The five Ws: 1) Who 2) What? 3) Where? 4) When? and 5) Why?

Get the reader’s attention in the title and lede – the first paragraph

Before you try to promote your event, you need an effective press release.

Here are some tips and tools that will help your co-op get an event covered by the local media.

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The Body

The second paragraph

Remaining paragraphs

Quotations for spokespeople

The conclusion

Boilerplate description

Before you try to promote your event, you need an effective press release.

Here are some tips and tools that will help your co-op get an event covered by the local media.

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Your Turn to Draft a Press Release

Take 15 minutes to draft a press release that your organization could prepare for a story on the end federal operating agreements

Present your group’s press release

Discussion

12

Contacting the Media

Contact the news media outlet

Pitch your story

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The Seven Qualities

The seven qualities that makes stories newsworthy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NLfjlP5Fxc

o Timeliness

o Proximity

o Rarity

o Prominence

o Impact

o Novelty

o Human interest

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Q & A

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