Supportive Housing Campaign

Challenge: Virginia Supportive Housing is the largest statewide non‐profit organization that serves homeless adults by providing permanent, supportive housing. In conjunction with its 25^th anniversary, Virginia Supportive Housing was seeking to expand its footprint in Hampton Roads with the development of several new communities. To facilitate that growth, it needed to communicate the importance of permanent, supportive housing to both the general public in the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk as well as elected officials. 

Solution: Virginia Supportive Housing engaged Gray Ryan Communications to develop and implement a multi-faceted communications campaign designed to increase community and elected official support for supportive housing solutions. The campaign included a mix of opinion articles, earned media, talking points for meetings with elected officials and community advocates, drafting correspondence to city council members, and collateral materials showing data about the need for these communities.

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Bottom Line: The success of this campaign resulted in over three dozen earned media placements in targeted publications in Hampton Roads and Charlottesville showing the growing need for supportive housing solutions in the market. It also resulted in winning support from both Republican and Democratic members of Virginia Beach and Norfolk’s city councils as well as their respective mayors. That support meant that Virginia Supportive Housing could move forward with the development of its Crescent Square community in Virginia Beach and Church Street Station Studios in Norfolk.