Want to discuss affordable housing in your community? This guide can start the conversation.

Why is it so hard to find affordable housing in Texas? The Texas Tribune has been investigating this question — and others related to what many are calling a crisis — for the past several months. We’ve pressed lawmakers, advocates, homeowners and more for their take on why affordable housing remains so elusive and what the possible solutions are.

Our upcoming investigative series, led by Texas Tribune reporters Brandon Formby, Neena Satija and Edgar Walters will examine why publicly funded housing in Texas continues to be segregated by race and socioeconomics, 50 years after the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act that sought to break down housing segregation across the country. And how rising prices are making it hard for Texans at many income levels to find a home they can afford.

Now we want to hear from you.

That’s why we’ve created the affordable housing toolkit, a step-by-step guide aimed at sparking meaningful conversation on Texas’ affordable housing issues and their impact on your community. To foster a successful discussion, you will need to create a space for attendees to both share their individual experiences and also zoom out to look at the scope and impact of affordable housing challenges across the state.

The Tribune’s toolkit makes it easy to plan events in your community, with resources such as:

• Relevant reading and resources to help inform your conversation
• Discussion questions
• Tips for event planning
• Tips for securing informative speakers and an accessible location for your event
• Ideas for promoting your event
• A Community Conversations checklist

Thanks for your interest in leading this important conversation. Our team is here to help and answer any questions you may have along the way: communityconversations@texastribune.org.

Download our affordable housing toolkit here.

If you’re thinking about hosting a Community Conversation on affordable housing in your neighborhood, please let us know by filling out this brief form so we can share your event with our readers. All we ask is that you report back to us on the outcome of your discussions.