HJC Catalyst Retreats
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
- Lilla Watson & Aboriginal Rights Organizers
About Catalyst Retreats
The Housing Justice Collective is excited to announce a new consultative offering for interested communities and organizations - Catalyst Retreats! HJC applies community and relationship-oriented approaches that convene people, ideas, energy and experiences. We aim to take your group planning processes to a higher elevation; one that results in concrete solutions to complex organizational and community problems that people are looking to solve.
What do they include?
HJC Catalyst Retreats will include a series of planning meetings with the community or organizational partner to clarify goals, objectives, and the desired outcome(s) of the retreat. HJC will prepare an agenda with the group and coordinate logistics for the time that best meets the client’s needs. In addition to the facilitation of the retreat itself, HJC will host a virtual debrief with participants to reflect learnings and provide a warm handoff for any next steps in the community process or work with the HJC team to develop longer term implementation support.
While the retreats will be tailored to the specific needs of the community, here is an overview of the process and types of services that are included:
In advance of the retreat, two members of HJC will facilitate a series of virtual planning meetings to co-design with the clients. We will identify the objectives for the retreat and thoughtfully organize a flow that achieves the set objectives and weaves in community care, joy and teambuilding.
HJC will coordinate and support scheduling and on-the-ground logistics for the retreat, as needed.
Two HJC members will facilitate the retreat and document the emergent ideas and priorities that emerge throughout the process,
HJC will provide a post retreat reflection and thoughtfully close out the process with clear next steps with the local community partners.
HJC can provide a summary report and outcomes of the retreat, upon request.
Lived Expertise
When in community with people with lived expertise, we prioritize co-design and collaboration with those most impacted by the issue or problem the community has identified to solve. The ways that we practice this include:
Ensure equitable compensation is secured and administered for any participants with lived expertise
Explicitly name and help support managing power dynamics amongst participants
Facilitating compensation and travel support for any lived experience retreat members
Is an HJC Catalyst Retreat Right for Your Community?
Does your community and group align with HJC values? Do you have an investment in community-led transformation processes that are accountable to sharing power with people most impacted by housing insecurity and homelessness? Do you have people who value relationships along the journey of working towards housing justice? If yes, then please fill out the form below!