Rental Conditions Advocacy

Small Center Engagement

Small Center collaborated with GNOFHAC to develop and test graphic materials through a series of iterations, interviews, and focus groups that identified biases in perceptions of housing conditions and renter demographics. Combining statistics on the percentage of rental housing that lacks basic plumbing or is rodent infested with narratives from GNOFHAC’s clients put a human face on the issues while providing a sense of the scale of the problem.

In supporting GNOFHAC’s advocacy work through this project, Small Center’s role was to create accurate and engaging tools that were informative and would reframe a conversation about housing by focusing on health and safety in a city where 53% of residents are renters, and have few protections or regulations for housing.

Partner Organization

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center provides comprehensive fair housing services through its enforcement, education, and homeownership protection departments. GNOFHAC is dedicated to fighting housing discrimination because it is an illegal and divisive force that perpetuates poverty, segregation, ignorance, fear and hatred.

Outcome

The interactive brochure is being used by GNOFHAC for ongoing education and outreach. A parallel advocacy effort was mailed out to 4,000 households in the fall of 2016. Impacts of these efforts can be seen through a shift in media coverage of rental conditions and regulations, as well as pending legislation in New Orleans’ City Council in support of a rental registry and increased housing inspections.

Collaborators

GNOFHAC

• Maxwell Ciardullo (Director of Policy & Communications)
• Renee Corrigan (Director of Education & Outreach)