Program date: Jan. 9, 2026
Air date: Jan. 12, 2026
From the City Club of Eugene:
A.C.T. (Advancing Community Together) Now Lane is a cross-sector coalition uniting leaders, organizations, and community members to address Lane County’s housing and homelessness crisis head-on. Lane County has one of the highest rates of homelessness per capita in the nation, with thousands of individuals in our community living unhoused. A.C.T. Now Lane believes this crisis is too complex for any one organization to solve alone, but together, we can make meaningful progress toward lasting solutions.
In this forum, we will hear from three A.C.T. Now Lane Steering Committee members who will speak about the goals of the coalition: bringing together diverse voices from non-profits, businesses, government agencies, educators, neighborhood groups, and unhoused individuals in a collective effort to confront the housing and homelessness crisis in Lane County; reducing the number of individuals living unhoused and unsheltered in our community, with the long-term vision of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring; and rallying around shared strategies to address both the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness and the systemic challenges that contribute to the crisis.
Speakers:
Larissa Ennis is a 23-year resident of Eugene-Springfield. Having experienced homelessness and housing instability throughout her childhood, she is devoted to helping find solutions to houselessness that recognize the inherent dignity of all people, regardless of their current circumstances. Larissa is the Board Chair for our local housing agency, Homes for Good. She also serves on the Steering Committee for A.C.T. Now Lane, a cross-sector coalition to address Lane County’s housing and homelessness crisis. Larissa is senior manager of development and communications for Food for Lane County and was previously director of community relations and sponsorships for the University of Oregon. A first-generation college graduate, Larissa earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Washington State University and a master’s and PhD in English/Film Studies from the University of Oregon.
As a key representative for businesses and employers in the Eugene Area, Brittany Quick-Warner works to promote and strengthen our community through a prosperous economy and business sector. She leads the strategic vision of the organization in partnership with the Board of Directors, and has been the President & CEO of the Eugene Chamber since 2017. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Atmospheric Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
Karen Saxe leads policy development and advocacy efforts for DevNW and its affiliate nonprofits, Community LendingWorks and Neighborhood Building Corporation, across the areas of affordable housing development, asset building programs and services, and small business and community-based lending. She also supports organizational growth and development through strategic partnerships throughout its seven-county service area. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public Administration.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.