Stories of Home is an intensive workshop series to develop video stories of courageous hope and collective action for housing justice, centering Bay Area residents who have experienced housing insecurity.
The initiative is designed to empower and engage storytellers, strengthen video production skills within the housing justice movement, and build narrative power so that people can see and believe that we are building a future where everyone can afford to live and thrive in the Bay Area.
The participants—both organizational staff and storytellers with lived experience—will receive training and coaching during a series of workshops to learn best practices and develop a concept for a short video. They will then work with local videographers who will shoot, edit, and produce the videos in partnership with each organization. These services are provided for free, and storytellers will be compensated. The process will take place between April and July 2025.
Participants will develop their unique project concepts as part of a regional storytelling effort. Concepts should broadly align with the goals and messaging of Begins with Home to inspire hope and collective action for housing justice in the Bay Area.
Program Details
Applications are open from February 10th through Thursday, February 27th. Five or six organizations will be chosen to participate.
- Open to Bay Area organizations, activists, and service providers engaged in housing justice work that is in line with the goals of Begins with Home (see the approaches listed here: produce, preserve, prevent, and protect.)
- Organizations will be chosen based on a combination of factors, including organizational need, capacity to see the process through to completion, and story concept.
- You can review the application questions and prepare your answers by using this document.
- Translation services can be made available throughout the program if needed.
- Storytellers with lived experience will be compensated $550 by All Home for their participation.
Two workshops will take place in person and one workshop will be virtual on the following dates. If you plan to apply to the program, please hold these dates.
- April 2nd, 10am-2pm, IN PERSON in Oakland
- May 1st, 10am-2pm, IN PERSON in Oakland
- May 13th, 10am-11:30am, virtually via Zoom
During these workshops, participants can expect:
- Storytelling and narrative experts will teach best practices for ethical storytelling, collaborating with subjects and videographers, and working with participants to develop their video concepts.
- All sessions will be open to storytellers, though they are not required to attend. Storytellers will receive separate materials they can review in their own time, and will need to attend two meetings prior to filming, scheduled around their availability.
Video production will take place between June (filming) and July (editing).
- Participants will work with local videographers to develop storyboards, shot lists, and scripts, and help with production on shooting days.
| Accepting applications for participants | February 10-27 |
| Notify accepted participants | April 7 |
| Three workshop sessions and project development | April 2nd, 10am-2pm, IN PERSON in Oakland; May 1st, 10am-2pm, IN PERSON in Oakland; May 13th, 10am-11:30am, virtually via Zoom |
| Filming video with videographers | June |
| Videographers edit and participants review edits | July |
| Video rollout (videos are shared) | August |
| Celebration and screening with program participants + consultants, Begins with Home campaign partners, friends | TBD date in September |
This initiative is part of the Begins with Home regional narrative campaign. Stories of Home is led by All Home, with Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern CA (NPH) supporting and advising. Final videos would be co-owned by Begins with Home and the participating organization, and subject to the storyteller’s permission and intent.
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