Hundreds of conversations about Gallatin Valley housing challenges and solutions to take place during A Seat at the Table on October 14th
In communities across Gallatin County, thousands residents will come together in small group settings on Thursday, October 14th as One Valley Community Foundation again invites all Gallatin County residents to join a county-wide conversation and have their voices heard. A Seat at the Table 2021, the second such community forum hosted by the One Valley Community Foundation, is designed to generate new ideas and inspire bold solutions surrounding housing in Gallatin County.
“Through A Seat at the Table, we hope to elevate your voice as a community member. This year we are focusing our conversations on housing and affordability because we know that that is one of the most pressing topics in our community right now” said Bridget Wilkinson, Executive Director of One Valley Community Foundation. “You don’t need to be a housing expert to host a table or participate. A Seat at the Table is meant to be an open and widely accessible opportunity to gather with friends, neighbors, or even strangers, to discuss our experiences with housing and generate ideas for addressing housing challenges.”
The goal is to engage community members from all walks of life in small group settings to have meaningful conversations about the housing challenges affecting all Gallatin County residents. The topics, issues, and ideas discussed during each A Seat at the Table conversation will be based around three key questions that inspire participants to share their experiences with housing, possible solutions, and community groups who can play a role in addressing different parts of the problem.
Following each conversation, hosts and participants will be asked to fill out a short survey to provide information about their participation in this project and their ideas for addressing local housing challenges. Data compiled from A Seat at the Table conversation surveys will then be shared with our community members and leaders to turn ideas into action.
“The state of the County’s housing market impacts all of us. The lived experiences of how the housing crisis is impacting community members – whether renters, home owners, or homeless; whether you are a business owner or a job seeker – must inform the policy decisions and our assessment of the possible solutions before us.” said Jennifer Lammers, One Valley Board President. “A Seat at the Table makes that connection by providing individual community members with the opportunity to relay their concerns and ideas to local leaders across government, nonprofit and business sectors in an organized and impactful way.”
A Seat at the Table is asking local community members throughout Gallatin County to host their own conversations between October 14th-31st. There will also be online and in-person public tables held where anyone is welcome to attend. Conversations can be held virtually or in-person at participant’s homes, offices, schools, parks or place of worship. One Valley has recorded a short host training video that provides hosts with an overview of the initiative, tips to hosting a productive conversation, and information about how to collect feedback from your conversation. Participant surveys will be available in both English and Spanish.
To sign up to host a table or attend a public table, to view our short host training video or see our recent Regional Housing Study, please go to www.AtTheTableGV.org for more information. •
