Building public will through narrative change is one of the key levers for creating a sustained movement for housing reform. Across different issue areas, narrative strategy can be harnessed to propel advocacy forward.
Every advocate who has come up against the headwinds of their opposition’s arguments has a keen appreciation for the role and importance of narrative in social change. Narrative can catalyze or calcify the policies and practices of our institutions, as well as the systems that sustain our society.
The following case studies illustrate the ways narrative strategy led to shifts in public perceptions and attitudes, which paved the way for concrete, meaningful changes in policy and practice that make a real difference in people’s everyday lives. Each of these case studies hold lessons for California housing advocates on the ways that narrative is a key part of winning important policy changes.
