Storytelling is a powerful way for people with lived experiences to effectively communicate their needs and the challenges they face to policy makers and community members.

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about how a lack of affordable housing affects their community. Losing one’s home because of an unaffordable increase in rent, loss of a job, an illness, or domestic violence are just some of the reasons a person may become homeless. Most people think homelessness happens to other people…people who aren’t like them or people they will never know.

But that’s not the case. And that’s why it’s important for people who have struggled to find and maintain housing, and especially affordable housing, to tell their stories.

How to Tell Your Story

Memorable stories are those that are emotionally touching but grounded – either sad and sympathetic stories, or informative and realistic stories. This creates an opportunity for storytellers to introduce the housed public to the very real challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness or struggling to keep their homes. This also makes individuals with lived experience incredibly effective messengers. They can relate to audiences while also grounding their message in the reality of their experiences.

Which Messages Work Best?

Messages that focus on what the audience and the storyteller have in common work well to make connections between different groups of people. When people understand that bad things can happen to just about anybody, they can more quickly relate to the storyteller’s experience. Health messages and messages that emphasize the possibility that anyone could lose their home are compelling and believable.

Please use the form below to share your story. Include information about when your experiences occurred. By doing so, you also give us permission to share your story. Please tell us if you do not want us to use your name.