When advocates talk about "affordable housing," they are met with immediate opposition. Too many listeners think, "They want to move poor people into my neighborhood."  People who think this way are not irrational; they simply have little reason to see a connection between themselves, or their experiences, and the issue of fair housing.  A stronger frame can promote open conversation about housing: The context is a marketplace that should provide a wide variety of choice, but currently does not.

Nearly everyone recognizes a problem with housing costs, but people tend to see the problem as the result of the inflexible, market-driven forces of supply and demand.  This is an opportunity for housing advocates, who should note – with statistics to back them up – that the market is neglecting the "supply" end of the equation.

People don't associate "affordable housing" with community-wide or government solutions.  They think about finding the difficulty of finding places to live that people can afford as a consumer issue.  And consumers are not finding an array of choices. It's like shopping in a grocery store that sells only filet mignon and caviar, but no hamburger or macaroni.  A housing market that only provides top-end development is not functioning properly because it does not provide the choices consumers want and need.

The role of government can be addressed as part of improving the functioning of the market. Lead with the values associated with growth and development, and call for putting all the options on the table for plans that will improve and benefit the community as a whole.