{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"New Housing Alternatives","title":"Beyond NIMBY: Humanizing Affordable Housing","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2103,"description":"In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Anne Gordon-Tighe, strategist at Y Station, a communications and research firm that works with governments, non‑profits, and housing providers. Anne explains how Y Station bridges the gap between quantitative public opinion research and qualitative public engagement, helping clients navigate contentious conversations around new affordable and supportive housing.\nAnne traces Y Station’s origins and name back to “Y stations” in the Second World War—radio towers that picked up signals and relayed them to code‑breakers at Bletchley Park. She uses this metaphor to describe how Y Station gathers signals from surveys, stakeholder interviews, and public meetings to give clients a holistic view of the “public conversation” around housing. For many non‑profit providers stepping into development for the first time, this support is critical: they are already stretched thin operating shelters and services, and often lack in‑house capacity to manage complex engagement and communications requirements tied to land sales and development approvals.\nThe conversation then turns to the myths, fears, and human rights questions that surface when new affordable housing is proposed. Anne outlines common community concerns about property values, crime, and the loss of existing uses like parks, and contrasts these with neutral or supportive residents who simply want information. She describes Y Station’s approach to balancing radical transparency—including around contentious elements like harm reduction services—with a firm commitment to tenants’ rights. As she puts it, we don’t get to decide who our current neighbours have over as guests or what medications they take, and the same standard should apply to residents of affordable and supportive housing.\nFrom there, Cherise and Ren dig into what makes engagement effective—and why it often starts too late. Anne shares examples of humanizing...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/BKM7lGJ2EZ_i6AuOOKCMh_Qqaj32gJ7zqd3Rfy62guQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84Y2Jm/MjQxMjcyZmU0MzNh/ODQ3MWFjMWVlMWQ0/YWViNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}