Winterbrook Planning is a proud sponsor of The Housing Land Advocate‘s annual conference. Housing Land Advocates was formed in 2004 as the Oregon Alliance for Land Use and Affordable Housing.  They are an entirely volunteer-run and -operated organization, and our very own Senior Planner Ben Schonberger is on the board of directors.

Housing Land Advocates serves as an advocate for thoughtful land use planning that aligns with housing policy, and as a watchdog to ensure that state and local governments fulfill their obligations under adopted housing policies and statutes.

This year’s conference, in their own words:

“…will explore the future of fair and affordable housing within the contexts of the climate crisis and land use law’s legacy of racial exclusion and oppression. Panelists will discuss strategies and barriers to providing housing security and affordability during wildfire recovery, drawing on Oregon’s experience following the devastating wildfires of the past few years; explore the boundary between shelter and housing as they discuss the development of smaller, less expensive, climate resilient housing types; and, ultimately, grapple with tensions between investments in climate resilient urban infrastructure and communities, the specter of gentrification and displacement of historically marginalized persons, and historic and continuing disparate allocation of environmental burdens to communities of color.”

The schedule this year is as follows:

8:30 am – Welcome

8:40 am – Keynote

White Space, Black Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality, by Sheryll Cashin, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice, Georgetown Law

10:00 am – Up in Smoke: Affordable Housing and Wildfire Recovery

11:30 am – Recognition of the Ed Sullivan Affordable Housing Advocate

11:40 am – Lunch break

12:00 pm – Exploring the Boundary Between Shelter and Housing

1:45 pm – Climate Resilient Urban Areas: Can They Be Inclusive?

3:15 pm – Closing