HOUSING JUSTICE FESTIVAL
Housing
Justice
Festival
November 9th @ 10 am- 2 pm
12520 SW Grant Ave, Tigard, OR
FREE | Food | Fun | Art | Advocacy
This event comes at a pivotal moment: right after the presidential election and just before Oregon's next state legislative session in January 2025. It's an opportunity to harness momentum and advocate for meaningful change. This event begins with a powerful showcase of art created by local youth exploring the theme of housing justice and the opportunity to sign up for a raffle to win exciting prizes generously donated by local supporters. This second part of the event will feature insightful presentations on current housing trends, challenges, and disparities, personal stories from people with lived experience of housing insecurity, and proposals of actionable solutions to elected officials (see below). The event concludes with delicious catered lunch and live music to give us the nourishment and energy to take collective action.
ABOUT US
“Any person or family that, without any direct fault on his or her part, does not have suitable housing is the victim of an injustice.”
- St John Paul II
This event is inspired and organized by the Housing Justice Core Team, a diverse grassroots group incubated out of St Anthony’s Catholic Church in Tigard dedicated to championing tenant rights and advocating for safe, quality, and affordable housing options in the region. Our goal is to participate in creating systemic changes that ensure everyone, especially the most vulnerable groups, has access to secure and dignified living conditions through a communal process of listening, learning, skill-building, planning, and action.
Special Guests
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Is this only for Tigard residents?No! While the festival is organized in Tigard and will feature the Tigard Mayor, it is open to everyone. In fact, we’re also including state officials who represent other neighboring cities, such as Charbonneau, King City, Metzger, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Beaverton and Yamhill County. We've also invited Washington County Commissioners and Portland Metro Councilors. The event is an opportunity for people from all communities to come together, share their experiences, and advocate for housing justice across the broader area.
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Do you have to be Catholic to attend?No, you don’t have to be Catholic to participate. While the group organizing this event is Catholic and incubated out of St. Anthony Catholic Church, everyone is welcome, regardless of religious background. This event is open to all who care about housing justice and want to make a difference.
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What language will this event be conducted in?This a multilingual event, with programming primarily in English and Spanish. In addition, real-time captions and translation services will be available in multiple languages to ensure accessibility for all attendees. Prepare ahead of the event and watch this tutorial video for how you will access event captions and translations:
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Are there any costs to attend?No, the event is free and open to the public. However, freewill donations to help offset event costs are welcome and appreciated. If you own a business, check out these sponsorship opportunties
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Can I bring children?Yes! We invite youth of all ages to come and participate. They can create and submit art that will be displayed at the event. Click the link below to learn more. They can also participate in an intergenerational, multicultural handcraft art activity. Space is limited to 50 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. For your convenience, we are also offering limited childcare for 30 kids who are between ages 5 and 12 years old in a separate room on the campus. For kids under 5 years old, we will have a kiddy corner in the same room the event will be held at with books, toys, and stuffed animals but there won't be any volunteers watching them.
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Do I need to register to attend?Yes, registration is strongly encouraged to help us plan for the number of attendees, as well as to ensure we have enough food, seating, and other accommodations. Your information will only be used for event communication and planning purposes, and will not be shared beyond that. While registration is recommended, walk-ins won't be turned away. If you prefer registering over the phone, please call (503) 639-4179 extension 123. You can also sign up in-person at the parish office during business hours.
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Will there be a chance to ask a question or make a comment to elected officials directly?Yes, there will be a brief Q&A period with the elected officials, but we can’t guarantee that every question will be addressed. To ensure everyone’s voice is heard, there will be a special station where you can submit your questions and comments. Due to time constraints, you won’t be able to ask your question directly. Instead, we will collect all submissions, sort them into common themes, and share them with the elected officials during the Q&A segment. This allows us to cover as many topics as possible in the time available.
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Is this a partisan event?No, this is not a partisan event. It’s not about promoting Democrats or Republicans, nor is it about pushing anyone to vote one way or another in the upcoming presidential election. The focus is solely on fostering a community conversation about housing issues and solutions. The event is completely non-partisan and centered on addressing housing justice at the grassroots level, regardless of political affiliation.
Event
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