This article has been updated to reflect a change in the panelists at the Friday meeting.

Efforts by a local coalition to address Lane County’s housing and homelessness crisis will be highlighted at the City Club of Eugene’s meeting Friday, Jan. 9.

The free meeting begins at noon at WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave.

It will focus on A.C.T. Now Lane (Advancing Community Together), a coalition of community leaders, organizations and residents working on housing and homelessness issues. Lane County has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the nation, with thousands of individuals living without shelter.

The meeting will feature three members of the coalition’s steering committee:

  • Larissa Ennis, a 23-year resident of Eugene-Springfield, who experienced homelessness and housing instability throughout her childhood. She is the board chair for Homes for Good, Lane County’s housing agency. She replaces Jacob Fox, the executive director of Homes for Good, on the city club panel.
  • Karen Saxe, the director of policy, advocacy and strategic relationships at DevNW, a nonprofit organization that works on affordable housing and related issues.

The program will be streamed live on the club’s YouTube channel and will be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Monday on KLCC, 89.7 FM, and later, on the club’s podcast.

The City Club of Eugene explores local state and national issues and seeks to solve problems. Membership is open to all.

The club will not meet Friday, Jan. 16, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.