Feb. 2025 community engagement news

As the national housing crisis becomes increasingly urgent, we’re sharing some good news this month of affordable housing clients who are launching their websites, connecting with advocacy groups, building trust with residents, and generating excitement for new construction. Plus, check out coUrbanize founder Karin Brandt’s guest commentary in Affordable Housing Finance to learn how affordable housing developers (and others!) can take a page from political campaign playbooks.

#1 Turning NIMBY to Yes: Affordable Housing Success Stories Powered by Data

Studies have found that the people who show up to public meetings tend to be older, wealthier, and more opposed to development than the communities they’re supposed to represent. So when it comes time to share testimonies on a project, affordable housing developers often find themselves fighting an uphill battle to prove there’s public support.

But as coUrbanize Founder Karin Brandt puts it in her guest commentary for Affordable Housing Finance, “While some abutters and NIMBYs may never change their minds about affordable housing in their neighborhoods, bringing more people into the process means public officials hear from more than just the naysayers.”

Check out the full article to read about three coUrbanize clients –? Mission First Housing Group , McCormack Baron Companies , and BRIDGE Housing Corporation – who embraced new strategies to reach beyond the usual meeting attendees and build broad community support.

#2 Client Spotlights

60+ Comments in less then 24hrs | Taft & Exmoor | Glen Ellyn, IL

Full Circle Communities, Inc recently launched their website for a supportive housing development in Glen Ellyn, IL in record timing. When they reached out to local advocacy and faith groups that serve people with disabilities, their project website received more than 60 comments from community members in less than 24 hours.

700+ Site visitors | Holland Gardens | Jersey City, NJ

WinnCompanies and the Jersey City Housing Authority received dozens of new comments and followers during a successful resident meeting last week for their redevelopment of the Holland Gardens public housing community. By posting signage in common areas and showing how to use the website, they’ve received more than 700 website visits since their site launched.

Exemplary Update | The Arlington | Los Angeles, CA

One of the best ways we’ve seen a team share construction updates is Thomas Safran & Associates updates on their affordable housing community in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of L.A. Their bite-sized posts tell the story of how the building is made, share photos of its progress, and build excitement for the finished project:

#3 Case Study: Winston-Salem Choice Communities

For their redevelopment of an aging public housing community in Winston-Salem, NC, McCormack Baron Companies knew they would need to address resident questions and concerns. When the pandemic curtailed plans for in-person meetings, project leaders were surprised to find that “technology wasn’t a barrier at all” to community engagement.

Download the new case study to learn how the project team engaged in thoughtful dialogue with the community using digital tools, including how they used coUrbanize to strengthen relationships with the Housing Authority and City Council.

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More than 650 planning and real estate teams have used the coUrbanize platform to scale public outreach in a more inclusive way, have more productive conversations with the community, and ultimately build critical support for their projects. Schedule a consultation to learn more.