Recommendations for Developing Workforce Housing
GET AHEAD OF ANY WORKFORCE HOUSING PROPOSAL • E ngage Experts & Stakeholders Early Bring together representatives from employers, health care, housing, education, philanthropy, social justice, and government. • H ost Educational Series Offer in-person workshops or webinars that explain affordable/workforce housing 101, demonstrate local housing market studies and need analyses, and discuss the importance and value of providing housing to essential workers Informed residents and local decision-makers are more receptive to proposals; clarifying the broad benefits of workforce housing helps cultivate community support. MEET THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ARE • H ire a Community Engagement Partner Employ partners who understand the neighborhood’s history and sensitivities. • E ngage Community Leaders Make an effort to get acquainted with and gain support from council members, housing authorities and other key decision-makers in the towns you are looking to create workforce housing • Acknowledge Challenges During live feedback sessions, position workforce housing as part of a long-term solution rather than a new disruption. By incorporating resident input into revitalization plans, project teams build trust and secure buy-in for inclusive housing developments.
PEOPLE FIRST! • Personalize the Issue
Emphasize who stands to benefit from workforce housing—those employees who keep a community thriving. Lack of housing affordable to essential workers affects residents across the community as businesses struggle to keep employees. From the local coffee shop closing to a favorite teacher having to live out of their car to a lack of snowplow drivers to clear the roads, even higher income residents may recognize that a lack of workforce housing has affected their daily lives. • A ddress Common Misconceptions Clarify what workforce housing is—and is not—to counter fears of declining property values or increased crime. Focusing on real people and local needs helps move mixed-income developments forward even in areas of initial opposition.
A PRIMER ON WORKFORCE HOUSING • 5
Powered by FlippingBook