This workshop will share insights from new research on voter opinions of affordable housing in San Mateo County. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how local residents view housing solutions, the barriers they face, and the chance to strengthen messaging. We will highlight key data that can inform policy, advocacy, and campaign strategies. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of public perception along with practical takeaways that may advance affordable housing in their community.

Speakers

Bill Barnes, Campaigns Director, NPH

Bill joined NPH in October 2023 as Director of Campaigns & Community Engagement, where he will lead NPH’s state and regional campaign initiatives and work to grow our member/resident voter engagement. For more than 20 years, Bill worked alongside local and state officials who support affordable housing. Bill delivered $310 million for affordable housing in San Francisco as Campaign Manager for Proposition A, which earned 74% of the vote. Bill twice served as Campaign Manager for the late Mayor Edwin M. Lee, San Francisco’s first Chinese-American mayor and an affordable housing advocate.

Emily Kirby Goodwin, Senior Principal, EMC Research

Emily Kirby Goodman, Senior Principal at EMC Research, took her first job in survey research in 2006. Her expertise ranges from presidential and congressional campaigns to legislative and municipal electoral work, including candidates and ballot measures. Emily was named a “40 under 40” award winner by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC), and leads candidate trainings through various state and national organizations. Emily has extensive experience working on electoral, policy, and narrative research related to housing issues in the Bay Area and across California. She has led research programs to inform successful measures including California Props 1 & 2, Alameda County Measure A1, Santa Clara County Measure A, San Francisco Prop A, City of Oakland Measure Q, among others, and conducts annual values-based research for the Bay Area’s Begins With Home campaign.

Cory Fischer, Lead Narrative Strategist, NPH

Cory joined NPH in January 2023 as Lead Narrative Strategist to help grow public support and political will for the transformational housing solutions we need to unlock a more equitable and thriving future. He leads NPH’s multi-year coordinated regional narrative campaign, Shift the Bay, and supports the growth of our movement’s capacity, collaboration, and creative partnerships. Prior to joining NPH, Cory served as Senior Director of Communications and Narrative at Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, where he led a team of digital organizers, content producers, and media relations experts to shift the narrative about antisemitism, bring issue campaigns to life, and deploy research-driven messaging and creative content to win change at the ballot box. His work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, MSNBC, and CNN, and cataloged in the political protest collection of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.