Our Blog

Gain insights from our staff and partners on the latest in narrative research and grassroots communication. Hear stories from real people who have experienced homelessness and housing insecurity.

If you would like to share a story or unique insight into the housing crisis forcing so many of our neighbors into homelessness, reach out to us at info@housingnarrativelab.org.

Language Matters

08/25/2022

No matter what kind of storyteller you are, all writers are committed to telling effective stories.This is especially important when it comes to exploring sensitive topics like homelessness and housing insecurity, where the language used can be the difference between an advocacy-based piece and one that further marginalizes an already impacted group of people. 

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A Tale of Two Townships

08/22/2022

The Mount Holly Township that I am from is not the same Mount Holly Township that writer and editor Michael Jackson grew up in. Michael and I were having a conversation on homelessness and how communities must come together to rewrite housing rules and build options people can actually afford. During our chat, we realized that we had both graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School. I have not in all of my years as a journalist met someone who had been so intimately familiar with Mount Holly, New Jersey.

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Conclusion of national research project identifies messages that mobilize, persuade and neutralize

07/28/2022

The Housing Narrative Lab recently completed the third phase of our national narrative research project aimed at understanding the beliefs that people currently hold about homelessness and identifying messaging that might shift their understanding about the true causes of homelessness – from believing homelessness is caused by personal failure and bad choices to recognizing the […]

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Moving in the Right Direction

07/25/2022

As of late, we’ve noticed an emerging and important trend in the housing justice and homelessness field. We are seeing more advocates, community leaders, and government entities doing the work to show the undeniable connection between housing justice and racial justice.

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Our Statement on the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

06/24/2022

We are heartbroken by the Supreme Court’s decision today and keenly aware of what this means for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and the disproportionate impact this will have on low-income people – especially Black and Brown women.  People experiencing homelessness are less likely to have reliable access to contraception, more likely to […]

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Let's Change the Narrative Together

04/27/2022

We’re facing a national reckoning – rents are rising, inflation and stagnant incomes are pushing more and more people out of their homes. People are facing eviction or foreclosure. Now’s the time to join together – start a conversation, break down silos, change the narrative, not only in our local community, but across the country.

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