Background

The main purpose of this press release was for the YWCA of GLA to announce the successful l0 years-lease negotiation of its Hollywood Studio Club facility with the City of LA with the goal of administering programmatic solutions and help homeless women get back on their feet and secure permanent supported housing. In drafting this press release, I wanted to frame a nuanced timeline aligned with the Los Angeles’ policy landscape while underscoring the urgency of homelessness in this city.

Discussion

Within this messaging strategy, my goal was to highlight the CEO’s innovative foresight in turning the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles as social justice incubator in a way that formulates tangible solutions to complex public policy challenges. The cursory timeline of this press release not only revealed the negative impact of homelessness and structural racism but relied on published research to confirm that providing sheltered services alone is not a permanent solution. Rather, the use of comprehensive wrap-around services and case management was a much more compelling and empirically supported solution which ultimately led the City of LA to partner with the YWCA to oversee case management and transition homeless women into long-term supporting bridge housing, thereby creating a win-win solutions for the YWCA, the City of LA, and homeless women.

Solution

The use of storytelling, combined with evidence-based research, provided a persuasive foundation to construct a detailed-driven narrative, describing obstacles and transitioning into a mutually beneficial solution for all parties involved. Above all, this press release sought to humanize homelessness.