Cincinnati Action for Housing Now advocates that all people have a safe, accessible, and affordable place to call home. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund campaign is a community-driven movement to pass a local ballot initiative that will secure money for the city-wide Housing Trust Fund. We are looking ahead at this initiative on the May 4, 2021 ballot. It will take a collaborative effort across the entire community, and we are happy to have you involved.
Team Objective
Stories from people who have experienced housing instability, or who work alongside people with that experience, are powerful narratives that will build strength for this community movement. People who share their stories (the storytellers) are not only increasing awareness for the housing crisis, but are also active participants in the campaign. It is important that the stories are requested in an ethical way that empowers the person who shares it, and that the story is shared in their unique, original voice. The Storytelling Team coordinates communication and deliverables with the community service partners who will be either sharing their personal stories, or initiating the request from their clients to share their stories.
Team Goals
- Develop an outreach timeline that identifies who will be approached and when
- Write a cover letter that describes why we are contacting them and how their participation will connect them and their clients to a community movement
- Write an instructional guide that illustrates a sample of what topics the storyteller might want to share
- Serve as the primary point of contact for community service partners who will be initiating the ask from their clients to acquire their stories
- Collect the video files from storytellers through email and forward along to the campaign organizer on the first and third Monday of each month
Team Objective
Our community-driven movement will rely heavily on social and traditional media platforms to communicate the message about the past and current housing crisis, and how our Cincinnati Action for Housing Now campaign will invest in a future with greater access to housing stability for more people. The Public Relations Team will create, write, and share content across multiple channels including digital platforms, print media, and news media. Messaging tone will be historical, informational, educational, or advocacy. Examples of deliverables include editorials, PSAs, press releases, calls to action, infographics, memes, posts linking to a piece of compatible content, and photojournalistic pictures.
Team Goals
- Create consistent content for Facebook, Instagram, Outvote, Streetvibes, CityBeat, and other print media and send to the campaign organizer through email weekly on Monday
- Write press releases to heighten media coverage at strategically identified petition drives and coordinate with the Field Implementation Team and the campaign organizer
- Boost community engagement on social media through using tags and hashtags
- Coordinate with the campaign organizer to use stories from the Storytellers to create inspiring content
- Take photos for use on traditional and social media
Team Objective
Identifying institutions that support our campaign through statement, donation, or participation will enhance our credibility among key stakeholders with historical influence. The Endorsement Team will leverage existing relationships with organizations, businesses, foundations, associations, and private individuals to secure tangible support in the form of a written or recorded statement; a financial contribution to our campaign; active participation in the campaign committee; a pledge to engage in field implementation; or a combination of activities. This is a community-driven campaign, and the endorsement strategy will reveal the broad scope of this movement.
Team Goals
- Create and maintain an outreach spreadsheet that lists the entity, the point of contact, the dates and method of each outreach attempt, and the nature of the relationship
- Write a cover letter that describes and defines the levels of endorsement (recorded or written statement, donation, participation, community engagement, any combination), including what the endorsing entity will receive from their contribution
- Serve as the primary point of contact for entities who want to endorse the campaign
- Collect the logos and bios from the endorsing entity and send to the campaign organizer on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month
- Ensure each endorser receives a thank you note with the tax ID number of Cincinnati Action for Housing Now, if applicable
Team Objective
The Field Implementation Team is an important opportunity for flexible, adaptable, innovators who want to enhance their creative problem solving skills. Our most important question is how will we build a community-driven campaign during a pandemic without risking our health or contributing to the on-going public health crisis? While some traditional field tactics such as canvassing and voter registration drives might be possible, we will need to take extra care to maintain social distance and an adequate supply of face masks and hand sanitizer. Activities include no-contact petitioning, phone canvassing, lit drops, coordinating with the Publicity Team, verifying petition signatures, and coordinating with tenant groups.
Team Goals
- Schedule and coordinate no-contact signature collections with churches, community centers, libraries, and other community spaces
- Recruit and coordinate volunteers to witness the signatures
- Coordinate drop off and pick up of supplies including: petitions, pens, cleaning materials, masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer
- Coordinate publicity with the Public Relations Team to ensure a strong turnout
- Send thank you notes to all participating volunteers and spaces
- Other possible activities include phone canvassing, verifying validity of signatures, field canvassing or conducting lit drops, and/or coordinating with tenant groups to host voter registration and no-contact signature collection drive
Register through Google Forms to participate!
Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 
You must be logged in to post a comment.