Plans are well under way for RE:Conference 2022! We hope you’ve saved the dates – October 17 and 18. This year, we are planning to gather safely in person at the Salem Convention Center, and we are excited to see you all in person.
This year, the RE:Conference theme will be about advancing economic and housing justice by uplifting and centering the voices of those most impacted. We are planning content that will bring together advocates, providers, partners, and people directly impacted by both economic and housing justice issues, and we are thinking about presenters that will inspire, challenge, and organize us toward the future we envision.
RE:Conference is about connection. After so much time being unable to gather, we’re looking forward to create meaningful ways for us to connect, to create a memorable experience at this year’s conference, and to build community. And we’re so excited to be bringing back the IDA Marketplace, where graduates of the IDA Initiative have a chance to share their businesses and experiences, and attendees have a chance to purchase their amazing goods!
We are also thinking about content – on the housing justice side, there is exciting new research, guidance, and tools about how we communicate about housing that explicitly centers race and people most impacted by housing instability to move the public and decision makers; and on the economic justice side, we’re launching our economic just narrative project that will be fully underway once RE:Conference arrives. We are working to create a community of practice to craft new narratives rooted in community that will move from an individualized explanation of poverty to an understanidng of the role of structural and institutional racism.
There are also plans to uplift community voices and solutions – the past two years have seen some incredibly creative and critical solutions led by community, and people directly impacted by problems. RE:Conference will highlight and share those stories and lessons learned.
RE:Conference is also about inspiration and re-envisioning our work, and this year will be no exception. We know transformational change is possible, and the stories of people and communities creating truly transformational change will continue to inspire at this year’s conference.
We truly hope you’ve saved the date and are making plans to join us! If you are a resident of affordable housing, or an IDA saver, or someone directly impacted by economic justice issues, we want to make sure you can attend as well, so stay tuned for information in our newsletter about scholarships and ways we’ll support you to attend this important gathering.