Legislative Meetings
Legislative meetings are usually 15-minutes. Every second counts. Click here to get an idea of what a typical legislative meeting is like on Housing Opportunity Day.
Message Components
An effective message has three components:
- Why should I care? – Use a value statement (see below) and describe your vision.
- What is the problem? – Give a specific example/proof of the need for affordable housing. Use the county profile sheets.
- What is the solution? – Define a specific needed policy step and action that the listener can take. Our example = the Housing Opportunity Agenda!
Effective Values Statements on Affordable Housing
1. Hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money for groceries and other basic necessities
2. Children deserve an opportunity to succeed in school and life, which is tied to having a stable home
3. Housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives. To succeed you need a place to call home
4. It’s only fair that everyone has a safe, decent place to live
5. We need to remove the barriers that Oregonians with low incomes face in finding housing they can afford, close to work and schools.
6. In every community in our state, there are residents who struggle to make ends meet. They are often forced to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. We need to help make sure that everyone has a safe, stable, affordable place to call home.
7. We can live in a state where everyone has access to opportunity and a decent, stable, affordable place to call home. By investing in housing opportunities, we can create an Oregon with a better future for all of us.
Let’s use these messages early and often!