Housing and Belonging: An Oregon Humanities Conversation Project

Calendar Date:
Tuesday, October 24, 2023 - 6:00pm

Housing and Belonging

Oregon Humanities is partnering with the Cottage Grove Public Library to host community conversations about housing and belonging. These conversations are opportunities for people to reflect on ideas and experiences of home and housing across differences of background and belief.

Housing and homelessness is a visible and divisive issue in local media, in politics, and across different communities within our state. According to the state’s housing finance agency, Oregon has 140,000 fewer homes than it needs for its current population. Around 18,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness in Oregon. Many of us were experiencing housing instability and economic uncertainty even during the “boom” times before the current crisis.

These conversations will explore common assumptions and perspectives about the experience of houselessness/homelessness and seek to answer the question, How do we decide who “belongs” in our community? The discussions will be led by facilitators trained by Oregon Humanities. Participants will explore why they think what they do, share stories, build trust, and make stronger connections and commitments to the issues that affect their communities.