Welcome Home Coalition · Branding & Public RelationsShifting Unhoused Voices From the Margins to the Center
CLIENTWelcome Home Coalition
SERVICESBranding · Public Relations ·
Communications Strategy
SectorHousing & Homelessness
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100%
message pull-through in rally coverage
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2,000+
petition signatures, no paid canvassing
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6
major Portland outlets covered the launch
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1
City Council resolution passed weeks after launch
The ChallengeA research project that couldn’t afford to collect dust.
As the Welcome Home Coalition prepared to launch a community-based research project with real policy implications, they didn’t want to publish another report destined to collect dust. They needed a story that could both legitimize their research methods and resonate emotionally with Portlanders and local elected officials — strong enough to shift public conversation and move decision-makers to act.
We partnered with Welcome Home Coalition on a branding and public relations strategy designed to do exactly that: turn a research project into a public-facing campaign that could change the narrative and create real momentum at City Hall.
The Shift: From Marginalized Voices to Mainstream Debate
Too often, policies aimed at addressing homelessness are built without meaningfully centering the perspectives of people who are unhoused or recently unhoused. Welcome Home Coalition’s research challenged that norm by treating lived experience as essential expertise — worthy of both public investment and policy action.
But for those insights to shape the public and policymaking conversation, the work needed more than strong data. It needed a clear narrative, a compelling public identity, and a strategy to carry it into the media and political arena.
Our Approach
Branding
We renamed the project from “Housing Survey” to Finding Home: Lasting Solutions Rooted in Lived Expertiseand developed a visual identity inspired by the journey people take to find and keep a home. This reframing transformed the project from a static report into a campaign — creating a strong, cohesive container for all communications, outreach, and advocacy.
Public Relations & Communications
We built a media strategy that connected the project’s findings to the urgent, ongoing public conversation about homelessness at City Hall. By aligning the release with policymakers’ priorities and media attention, we secured coverage that elevated both the research and its policy recommendations.
Just weeks after the launch, City Councilor Candace Avalos and her District 3 colleagues introduced — and passed — a resolution calling for rental assistance and eviction prevention. A rally at City Hall generated coverage across every major Portland outlet, with 100% message pull-through.
Client Testimonials“Saerom combines sharp media strategy with deep respect for the people and issues at the heart of the work. She helped us earn strong media coverage, exposing our work to the broader Portland public. But just as importantly, she strengthened our team and our systems so we’re better equipped long after the headlines fade.”
— Molly Hogan, Executive Director, Welcome Home Coalition
Outcomes
Shifted political momentum from a narrow focus on night-only shelters toward long-term housing solutions, including rental assistance and eviction prevention
100% message pull-through in coverage of the 12/3 Finding Home rally at City Hall
Coverage across all major Portland outlets, including The Oregonian, OPB, KGW, KOIN, KATU, and KPTV
Over 2,000 signatures on the Finding Home digital petition — without paid canvassing
Ready to make waves?
Tell us about your organization and what you’re working toward. We’ll start with a 15-minute conversation.