You’re invited!

Housing Club
Community Meetup

Featuring Special Guest:
Gil Kelley

Tuesday, June 17 at 6 p.m.
Obelisk Beer Co

Our community is facing a housing emergency. Local workers, families, and young people can’t find homes, while a growing share of properties sit empty most of the year. In fact, more than 15% of the housing in Astoria is classified as vacant or seasonal use.

You are invited to join us on Tuesday, June 17th, at 6 p.m. at Obelisk Beer Co. for a conversation with our special guest, Gil Kelley. Gil is an experienced urban planner, having worked throughout the Pacific Northwest, including leading city-wide planning efforts for major metropolitan areas such as Portland and Vancouver, BC.

Under Gil’s leadership in Vancouver, the city adopted many tools to tackle the housing shortage, including a 1.5% tax on Empty Homes, which funds programs aimed at addressing housing affordability and availability challenges. Since the program began in 2017, the city has seen a 54% reduction in the number of vacant properties and has generated over $142 million to support affordable housing initiatives.

Should a fee on empty homes be part of the solution to support housing affordability and choice for full-time residents, families, and workers in Astoria and the North Coast? Join us for an informal discussion as we explore this question and others with Gil, a leader who has been working to address housing challenges for many years.

About Housing Club…

One of the most important ways that we can build support for housing is by gathering with our community. In that spirit, we’d like to invite you to join us at Housing Club, hosted by the Astoria Housing Alliance.

Housing Club is an informal gathering that provides a space for us to get to know one another and share our concerns and priorities related to housing. All ages are welcome. Please join us to connect and build community—every voice matters. We hope to see you there.