Housing Opportunities Commission

Redefining Affordable Housing While Rebranding an Agency

THE GOAL

A new leader with a bold vision and a mandate to reinvent what affordable housing could be.

 

The Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) came to us ready to reposition a fifty-year-old housing agency as a forward-thinking organization tackling generational poverty with private-sector ingenuity.

Housing Path CHANGED EVERYTHING. We helped HOC launch a first-of-its-kind online platform that replaced outdated waiting lists with a streamlined, real-time system connecting residents to the housing assistance they need.

THE challenge

The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County provides affordable housing and supportive services to low- and moderate-income households across three lines of business: public housing, mortgage financing and low-income housing development. With new leadership came a new philosophy: that affordable housing could and should rival the experience of any high-end, market-rate community.

HOC needed a brand that could carry that ambition. One that communicated energy, commitment and effectiveness while unifying a growing portfolio of programs under a cohesive identity.

The solutions

We worked closely with HOC’s staff to shape the brand and bring it to the community.
  • Developed the HOC brand identity package, deployed across marketing materials, staff uniforms, agency vehicles and property signage.
  • Created integrated branding for Housing Path, HOC’s groundbreaking online housing assistance platform.
  • Produced the Housing Path launch, with custom graphics and collateral materials.
  • Developed a social media strategy with a paid content amplification plan to reach beyond existing customers.
  • Conducted media training for HOC staff including key message development and a mock interview session with a reporter.
  • Managed media relations to local outlets and targeted industry publications.

the impact

A bold new brand gave HOC the platform to tell a more powerful story and the results followed.
  • Media outreach generated profile stories, byline articles and industry awards, positioning HOC as a thought leader in affordable housing.
  • Housing Path was recognized as a groundbreaking tool for streamlining housing assistance nationwide.
  • The brand launch event successfully introduced HOC’s new identity to key stakeholders and public officials.