PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INC. (POAH)
Strategic Media Relations Make a Case Across the Nation

Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. (POAH) is a national preservation organization dedicated to finding creative ways to preserve and improve quality affordable-housing options for low-income families and older adults. SM& created a media relations program that targeted towns and cities where POAH successfully saved valuable affordable housing, in order to help the organization influence and build relationships with local community groups, policymakers, and residents. Target markets included rural areas of Massachusetts, Illinois, Missouri, and Rhode Island. Our media efforts consistently emphasized the importance of preservation and the positive impact of POAH's work in individual communities. For example, in Rhode Island, our outreach highlighted the importance of providing older Americans with safe, secure and affordable housing options. It resulted in multiple placements in community newspapers across the state, positioning POAH's purchases as part of a trend toward preservation to help our aging population. In other areas, we highlighted the importance of providing services to affordable-housing residents to help meet their daily needs, such as community centers and One Economy online beehives. This coverage placed POAH in front of its key audiences all over the nation with the targeted messages it required to achieve its strategic objectives.