Tigard’s St. Anthony Catholic Church will bring a busload of parishioners and community members to Salem on Wednesday, May 21, in support of housing justice including the rights and dignity of renters.

There, they are expected to meet with lawmakers to advocate for Oregon House and Senate bills that champion tenants rights.

“The group will urge legislators to enact policies that uphold human dignity and ensure stable, affordable housing — so that all people, especially immigrant, Hispanic, non-native English speaking, and elderly community members, have a place to call home where they can truly flourish and reach their full potential,” Danny Rauda, St. Anthony Social Justice coordinator, said in a news release.

The Salem event is a followup to a November 2024 Housing Justice Forum held at St. Anthony which included both legislators and members of St. Anthony’s Housing Justice Team.

That event brought together 230 people, including five key representatives from different levels of local government, Rauda said.

The May 21 Salem trip, which is sponsored by the Community Alliance of Tenants and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, is primarily aimed at eighth-grade students, high schoolers and adults from St Anthony Catholic Church.