RN Founds THE HAVEN Project

HAVEN Project for Housing Justice - This is our home. We take care of our own

HAVEN is a cultural media production and distribution initiative for housing justice aimed at local Bay Area voters. It is a project of EastSide Arts Alliance founded by artist-activist Ryan Austin (RyanNicole).

HAVEN​ engages local artists, media makers, experts, and leaders in the field to share their perspectives, experiences and testimonies on housing justice. Through the creation and distribution of social justice media, HAVEN invites members of a community to radically imagine more just neighborhoods and cities.

The Big Idea

We know that traditional campaign messaging can shift voter behavior for short-term electoral wins. HAVEN hopes to use cultural media from popular and trusted artists to shift voter values and sentiments towards long-term and comprehensive, equity and justice actions and voting. Our supposition is that if popular media propagates songs, shows, fashion, and art that asserts a “brothers/sisters keeper” message, it will lead to a cultural shift towards collective caretaking, encompassing fair and equitable housing, education, medical care, etc.