What are effective approaches to engaging and communicating with the community about housing related topics?
This project is paired with another project. exploring acquisition strategies in order to increase availability of affordable housing in Hamilton.
Project Description:
The Housing Secretariat is interested in collaborating with the IBH student team to research and make recommendations on how to communicate well with the community about housing related issues. The Housing Secretariat would like to determine methods of communication and engagement that are different from the Town Hall meetings.
We are research and recommendations related to
Different methods for engagement with the community on providing housing-related updates, including engaging with Indigenous communities and other equity seeking groups.
Several municipalities have completed successful community engagement. It would be beneficial for the students to perform a cross-jurisdictional analysis of municipalities of similar size, to offer potential approaches for the Housing Secretariat team in Hamilton to consider.
Background Research:
Literature Review, including academic literature and documents produced by Hamilton area insitutions and non-profits related to community housing needs Environmental Scan and/or key informant interviews.
Student outreach to representatives from community organizations will require an amendment to our McMaster Research Ethics approval for this course. It is the responsiblity of the course instructor to forward the ethics application, although the students and teaching assistant will contribute to this process (development of interview and consent guides, etc.)
Intended Outcomes:
This research will be used to inform community engagement strategies in the Housing Secretariat that include fostering trust, tailoring communication, addressing concerns, promoting active participation, and empowering the community to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of affordable housing initiatives.
City Staff: Amanda Ciardullo, Program Coordinator, HSC, Housing Secretariat
Secondary City Staff: Justin Lewis, Housing Secretariat Director and Jeff Wingard, Housing Secretariat Consultant
Instructor: Karen Balcom, Associate Professor, History, Faculty of Humanities
Course: IBH 4AB6 - Social Entrepreneurship Capstone