Joseph Rowntree Foundation – Building a bigger us: how to talk about homes and immigration
- Inclusive North
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 18
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has developed a practical toolkit to help organisations and communicators talk more effectively about homes, housing and immigration in a way that builds understanding and supports constructive public debate. The guidance is based on research into how people think about housing issues, highlighting that conversations often become distorted by assumptions about individual responsibility or the idea that housing problems are simply the result of market forces.
The toolkit encourages a shift in language away from treating housing as an economic asset and towards understanding homes as essential for health, wellbeing and a decent quality of life. It also stresses the importance of clearly explaining how the housing system works, who is responsible for it, and how policy changes can improve it, rather than relying on statistics or general statements alone. By making these connections explicit, communicators can help audiences better understand why housing issues exist and what solutions are possible.
A key theme of the guidance is the need to frame homes as part of a wider system that has been designed and can therefore be redesigned. It suggests that communicators should emphasise the impact of housing on people’s lives, including its effects on physical and mental health, and avoid narratives that focus solely on property prices or individual effort. Instead, it promotes storytelling that links housing to wellbeing and highlights the role of government and institutions in creating fairer outcomes.
The toolkit also highlights several framing approaches, including using “homes” language rather than technical housing terms, explaining issues in simple and accessible ways, and consistently showing how policy decisions shape people’s experiences. Overall, the guidance is designed to help reshape public understanding so that there is greater support for long-term solutions that ensure everyone has access to a safe, affordable and secure home.
I really liked how the article nudges people toward open respectful conversations about housing and immigration, rather than just leaning on assumptions or that kinda divisive language. It feels like it’s promoting understanding through facts and empathy, and honestly that kind of thing helps every community, even the ones that seem kinda far away. The same emphasis on clear communication and evidence is also important in education, so yeah students often end up looking for guidance with custom nursing case study writing UK when they’re dealing with complex academic stuff.