AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport

Introduction:
Thefollowingreportcontainsadviceandguidanceincraftingacommunication
strategytopasstheRhodeIslandballotinitiativeaimedatsecuringa$25millionbond
forexpandingaffordablehousinginthestate.Thememoincludesananalysisofoverall
levelsofsupportforandoppositiontotheballotinitiative,theidentificationoftarget
audiencesforthecoalitiontofocusoninbuildingasuccessfulcampaign,and
recommendationsaboutspecificmessagesthatwillmosteffectivelycommunicatethe
benefitsandpotentialimpactofexpandedaffordablehousinginRhodeIsland.
Recommendationsweremadebasedontheresultsofasurveyof500registeredvotersin
RhodeIsland.ThesurveywasconductedfromJune2528,2012.

AnalysisoftheOverallSupportandOpposition:
Inordertocreatesalientandtargetedmessages,ananalysisoftheoverallsupport
forandoppositiontotheproposedballotinitiativewasconducted.Thesurveywasableto
determinethepublicsinitialstanceontheissue,identifyreasonsthepublicwould
supportornotsupporttheballotmeasure,andevaluateseveralpotentialmessage
strategies.
First,theresearchaimedtodeterminewherethepublicsstanceontheballot
measurestoodcomparedtootherissuesontheballot.Itwasfoundthat,initially,57
percentofrespondentswouldvoteyesorleanyesontheproposed$25millionfor
affordablehousing.Whenvoterswerebrokendownbypartyaffiliation,itwasfoundthat
77percentofDemocrats,52percentofIndependentsand31percentofRepublicans

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
supportedthemeasure.Interestingly,whetherornotaffordablehousinghadimpactedthe
respondentslifedidnotmakeasignificantstatisticaldifferenceonwhetherthevoter
supportedthemeasure.Youngpeopleaged1834weresignificantlymorelikelytovote
yesthanolderpeople,evenamongagegroupswhoaremorelikelytobenefitfromthe
initiative.Regardingincome,thosewhomade5075kperyearwereequallylikelyas
thosewhomadelessthan30ktosupporttheinitiative.Additionally,thosewhomade
over75kweretheleastlikelytovoteyes.Addressinggender,womenwere14percent
morelikelytovoteyes.
Nextthesurveysetouttodeterminewhatrespondentsthoughtwerethebest
reasonstovoteyesontheballotmeasure.Theopenendedquestionproducedmany
differentanswers,butthemostresonatingreasontovoteyeswasthat,Housingistoo
expensive,pricestoohigh,needaffordablehousing.Thisreasonwastwiceaslikelyto
becitedoverthenextleadingmessage,Toomanyhomelesspeople,weneedtohelp
themgetoffthestreet.
Thesurveyalsosoughttodiscoverwhatmessagestheinitiativewillbeupagainst
andwillbetryingtodebunk.Thesurveyfoundthattherespondentsthoughtthebest
reasonstovotenowereCantaffordit,stateisbroke,followedcloselybyNeedto
makesuremoneyisusedproperly/concernaboutmisuseoffunds.
Todeterminewhetherrespondentswouldbereceptiveofmessagingthatmight
highlightthebeneficiariesoftheballotmeasure,thesurveyaskedhowimportantitwas
forstategovernmenttoassistcertaintypesofpeopleinfindingahometheycanaffordin
RhodeIsland.Respondentscouldsayyesornotosupportthefollowinggroups:lowerto

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
middleincomeworkingfamilies,veterans,individualsorfamilieswhoarehomeless,
seniorcitizens,individualsorcitizenswhoareunemployed,workersmakinganhourly
wageandyoungpeoplewhoarenewtotheworkforce.
Alltypesofpeoplereceivedmorethanhalfthevotessayingtheywereimportant
tohelp.Veterans,thehomelessandseniorcitizenswereconsideredthemostimportantto
help.Youngpeoplenewtotheworkforcereceivedtheleastsupport.Individually,there
weresomenotablediscrepanciesaboutwhoconsideredeachgroupimportant:

Lowerincomeworkingfamilieswerethoughttohaveimportanceby70percent

ofvoters,withmostifitssupportcomingfromthosewhomakelessthan75kand
Democrats.
Veteranswereratedasimportantby84percentofvotersandgarneredmore
supportamongwomenandequalsupportacrossallagegroupsandincomes,making
themthemostpopulargrouptoreceivethebenefitsofaffordablehousing.
Thehomelesswereratedasimportantby80percentofvoters.Theirimportance
resonatedequallyamongthosewhomake5070kasitdidwiththosewhomadelessthan
30k.Democratsweremostlikelytofindthisgroupimportant(93percent).
Seniorcitizenswereperceivedasimportantby79percentofvoters.Amongage
demographics,theleastfavorabilityforthisgroupcamefromtheoldestagegroup(65+)
andtheyoungest(1832).Areasonforthismightbethattheparentsofthe3564year
oldsareenteringastageintheirliveswheretheymightneedaffordablehousing,andthis
groupcaresthattheirparentshavehousingtheycanafford.

Theunemployedgroupwasperceivedtobeimportantby68percentofvoters.

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
Republicansweretheleastlikelytosupportthisgroupcomparedtotheotherparties.
Theyweremorelikelytobesupportedbytheyoungestandoldestagegroups,whoare
morelikelytobeunemployed.Amongincomelevels,themostsupportcamefromthose
whomade5075kandthosewhomadeunder30k.
Workersearninganhourlywagewereperceivedasimportantby59percentof
votersandgarneredthemostsupportfromtheyoungestdemographiccomparedtoother
agegroupsandwasequallyimportanttoallthosemakingunder75k.Thismaybe
becausetheyoungestdemographicwasmorelikelytoeitherbeorhaverecentlybeena
workermakinganhourlywage.
Youngpeoplewhoarenewtotheworkforcereceived55percentoftheyesvote.
Republicanswereespeciallyunlikelytosupportthisgroup.Amongincomelevels,
supportforthisgroupismostlyequalacrossallincomes,withpoorerincomesmarginally
supportingthegroupmore.
Expandingfurtherintomessagetesting,thesurveyaskedrespondentshowmuch
theyagreedordisagreedwithspecificstatementsregardingaffordablehousing.Themost
resonatingstatementshadtodowithstrengtheningRhodeIslandseconomy,building
strongercommunitiesandhelpingthoseinneed.Thosesurveyeddidnotfeelthatthe
statesotherprioritiesweremoreimportantthattheabovestatements,nordidthey
believethataffordablehousingwasnolongeraproblemforthestate.Thefollowingare
thespecificmessagesandtheinterestingfindingsassociatedwitheach.
AffordablehomesareanimportantpartofensuringthatRIhasastrong
economy.53percentagreedwiththisstatement.Thosewhomake5075kwere

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
especiallylikelytofindthistobetrue(71percent).
Investinginandrehabilitatingforeclosedpropertiesasaffordablehomeswill
helpbuildstrongercommunities.49percentagreedwiththisstatement.Only40
percentofRepublicansthoughtthistobetrue.
Theeconomicdownturnandhighunemploymenthavemadehousing
unaffordableeventomiddleclassworkingfamilies.49percentagreed.Predictably,
thismessagewasstronglyagreedwithbythosemaking5075k,thosewhoweremore
likelytobeinthehousingmarket.
ManyRhodeIslanderscannotaffordahomeorapartmentandmoremustbe
donetohelpthoseinneed.45percentagreedwiththisstatement.Republicanswere
especiallylikelytofindthisnottobetrue(only27percentagreed).Thelowestincome
bracketwasmostlikelytoagreewiththisstatement(64percent).
Therearetoomanyotherimportantprioritiesfacingthestatetofundaffordable
housingatthistime.25percentagreedwiththisstatement.Republicansweremost
likelytoagreewiththisstatement,followedcloselybytheoldestdemographic.
Agreementwiththestatementwasequalacrossincomes.
Nowthatthepriceofbuyingahomeiscomingdown,thereisnolongeran
affordablehousingprobleminRhodeIsland.Only7percentagreedwiththis
statement.TwicetheproportionofRepublicansagreedwiththisstatement(15percent).
Interestingly,only14percentofthosewhobelievedaffordablehousingwasnota
problemagreedand11percentofthosemakinglessthan30kagreed.
Becausetherewasapreviousreferendumauthorizing50milliondollarsofstate

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
fundstobeusedoverafouryearperiodandthisballotmeasureissimilar,thesurvey
soughttofindoutifRhodeIslandersthoughtthattheinitialreferendumhadmadea
difference.Only6percentofrespondentssaiditdid.Democratsweremorelikelythan
theotherpartiestobeunsurewhetheritmadeadifference.Respondentsacrossall
demographicswereequallyaslikelytosaynoornotbesurewhetherithadmadea
difference.

TargetAudiences:
Basedontheabovedata,theresearchwasabletoidentifytargetaudiencesforthe
coalitiontofocusoninbuildingasuccessfulcampaign.Thecampaigncancreatespecific
messagesbasedonthefollowingaudiencesegments:
Partyaffiliations:Democratsareaparticularlyreceptiveaudiencetotheideaof
affordablehousing.Innearlyeverypotentialmessagestrategy,Democratsfarexceeded
RepublicansandIndependentsintheirsupportfortheproposedballotmeasure.Inthis
segment,Independentsarethepersuadables.IndependentvoterswholeanDemocratare
especiallyreceptivetotheideaofaffordablehousing.Republicansaremorereceptiveto
messagesabouthowthemeasurecanimprovetheeconomythanthegroupsofpeoplethe
measurewouldhelpormessagesaboutthecommunity.
Gender:Womenaremorereceptivethanmentoaffordablehousingmessages.
BecausewomentendtoleanDemocrat,thisfindingisnotsurprising,butallowsfor
narrowertargeting.
Affectedbyaffordablehousing:Whetherornotapersonhadapersonal

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
experiencewithaffordablehousing,orknewsomeonewhohad,didnotmakemuchofa
differenceinhowreceptivetheyweretotheproposedballotmeasureormessagesabout
it.Thesepeopleshouldnotbepartofthetargetaudience,norshouldthisbepartofthe
messagestrategy.
Incomelevels:IncomegroupsthataregenerallymoreDemocraticsupportthe
ballotmeasurenomatterwhatthemessageaboutitis.Thoseinthelowestincomegroup
andthoseinthesecondhighestconsistentlyranktogetherandhighinsupportofthe
differentmessagesaboutaffordablehousing.Affordablehousingwilllikelyaffectthe
lowestbracketthemost,sothehigherincome,whomostlikelywillnotbedirectly
affected,beingonparwiththelowestisaninterestingfind.Thesupportofthesecond
highestincomebracketmayalsobeduetothisgroupenteringthehousingmarket.Our
mostreceptivevotersinthissegmentwillthereforebethesecondhighestincomegroup
andthelowestincomegroup.
Age:Forthoseaged3664,amessagethathighlightstheirparentsasthe
beneficiariesofaffordablehousingwillbestrongest.Thoseunder35canbetargetedas
peoplewhowillbeenteringthehousingmarket,makingthemselvesbeneficiaries.To
targetthoseover65,thecampaignshouldusemessagesthatidentifytheirpeersas
beneficiariesoftheballotmeasure.

MessagingRecommendations:
Basedontheaudiencesthecampaignwilltarget,thefollowingmessaging
recommendationsshouldmosteffectivelycommunicatethebenefitsandpotentialimpact

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
ofexpandedaffordablehousinginRhodeIsland:
Oneofthemostimportantthingsthecampaignneedstodoisestablishasitsgoal
isthenecessitytochangetheperceptionthatthepreviousballotmeasurethatwassimilar
tothecurrentonedidnothaveanimpact.Mostofthosesurveyedbelievedthateitherthe
moneyneverwentanywhere,hadnoeffectorthatthemoneywasmismanaged.Across
allofthedemographicgroups,thisperceptionremained.Thecampaignneedstoprovide
informationthatcansupporttheideathatthemoneyfromthepreviousreferendummade
importantandpositive,ifsometimesinvisible,effectsonthestatesaffordablehousing
issuesandeconomy.Thenewreferendummustbeseenbyvotersasaninvestmentrather
thanmoredebtforthestate.
Educatingthepublicabouttheissueandthegooditcandofortheeconomyand
forthecommunitywillbeveryimportantforthiscampaign.WhetherDemocrats
receivedpositiveornegativemessagesaboutit,theirincreasedsupportwasaboutthe
same.ForIndependentsandRepublicanshowever,definingaffordablehousingpositively
andframingitasaninvestmentratherthanmoredebtcouldmakethedifferencebetween
asuccessfulorunsuccessfulballotmeasure.
Thethemeofthecampaign,duetothoseitneedstobringintoitscamp,shouldbe
onethatemphasizestheeconomicimplicationsoftheballotinitiativeandhowitcan
positivelyaffectthemostdeservingpeople,particularlytheelderlyandveterans.These
messageswerewellreceivedbyallgroups,butwereespeciallyresonantwiththoseinthe
RepublicanPartyandmayswayIndependentseasierwithoutostracizingsensitive
Republicanvoters.Thecampaigncanhighlightthebeneficiariesofthelastreferendum,

AmberRichardsRhodeIslandBallotStrategicReport
especiallytheelderlyandveterans,inordertohelpestablishthelastreferendumasone
thathadapositiveeffectonthestateandpositionthenewoneasacontinuationofthe
first.Byusingthesestories,thecampaigncanshowratherthantellthebenefitsofthe
ballotmeasure.