United Way's Social Research and Planning Council has launched a new campaign called Speak Up for Housing.
The campaign was built on information gathered from the Cost of Housing survey done earlier this year.
Kristin Crane, Director of Community Impact and Research, says there is a lack of housing that matches people's income, and United Way wanted to put a campaign together that harnessed the collective energies of people that support affordable housing.
"We have put together a number of different ways in which people can get involved, and then created some really compelling reasons why they should get involved. So sharing some of the data about how much of a crisis it is that we're facing and about the wide, wide range of community members that are impacted," said Crane.
In the Cost of Housing survey back in January of this year, United Way heard from hundreds of residents across Huron and Perth about how they've been impacted by the current housing climate.
"We've shared some of their stories and captured quotes from different individuals, and we're highlighting that in our social media posts that we're releasing. So it really is a community driven initiative," Crane added.
Crane says there is a lot of relevant information on the new campaign webpage.
"So we highlight some of the stories from individuals that we heard from in our survey. We have out together this really handy, two-page info-graphic that shows some really compelling stats and data points on just how much housing we need, among many other things on there," Crane noted. “The insights we heard from participants in the survey show the dramatic, wide-ranging way housing costs have affected our region. They’ve had to sell their homes, take second jobs, and sacrifice their dreams and well-being just to have a place to stay.”
“The cost of housing hurts people from all walks of life, from individuals with disabilities to seniors to working people,” added Ryan Erb, United Way Perth-Huron Executive Director. “This campaign allows us to share stories and help inspire action.”
“Local housing initiatives need support, and we hope this campaign motivates people to let their leaders know they stand behind these projects,” added Crane. “That kind of vocal support can make a tremendous difference on individual lives and the life of the community.”
The new Speak Up for Housing webpage includes data and information on how you can contact different local representatives and get different levels of government involved. You can find the website here: https://perthhuron.unitedway.ca/speakupforhousing/.