The Challenge
Abode Communities is one of the nation’s top 50 developers of affordable housing, but not many in its target market were aware of it. A non-profit company, Abode Communities designs, develops and manages quality multifamily housing projects that enrich the communities of which they are a part. Seeing the need to increase awareness in the multifamily and sustainable building sectors, Abode Communities approached Barbara Pressman Public Relations in 2009 to help build its national reputation in the field of affordable housing.
The Approach
Abode Communities asked BPPR to gain attention for a new project that exemplified the company mission and embodied Abode’s forte in the field of affordable and sustainable multifamily housing: Casa Dominguez, an innovative, national model for affordable housing with a rich safety net of services (child care, health care, computer labs and resident services). Soon after the public dedication of Casa Dominguez, the development received certification as the first LEED-Platinum multifamily housing development in Los Angeles County.
The opening event and subsequent achievement not only gave BPPR the opportunity to position Abode as a leader in place-based affordable housing development in California and across the nation, but to appeal to all the green publications as well. Through a well-selected media outreach program, BPPR was able to build Abode's reputation as a developer, architect, and property manager of service-enhanced and sustainable affordable housing within its target markets.
The Results
BPPR achieved a home run for Abode Communities, securing stories in all national multi-housing trade publications (whose readers comprise the client’s target market). A ghostwritten article written by BPPR was also selected as the cover feature for Community Redevelopment Association's magazine, Redevelopment.
Abode Communities has continued to receive extensive coverage among the target market's magazines as well as in numerous real estate publications, national architecture magazines, national green publications and blogs and community newspapers for its subsequent developments, among them, three additional Platinum-level LEED projects.
In the Summer of 2012, Barbara Pressman PR wrote and submitted a winning proposal on behalf of Abode Communities to the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a contract to provide services to the Green Affordable Housing Technical Assistance Corps. Additionally, BPPR prepared two winning award submissions for Abode Communities: the Women in Business’ Outstanding Non-Profit Executive Director Award for Robin Hughes, and SCANPH's (Southern California Affordable Non Profit Housing) Senior Project of the Year award for the Hudson Oaks affordable housing development in Pasadena.
For the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Riverwalk at Reseda apartments in August 2014, BPPR attracted cameras from three TV networks, and obtained in-depth coverage from the Daily News, San Fernando Valley Business Journal and several other media outlets. The resulting news stories emphasized the importance of affordable housing in Los Angeles.
