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Housing committee considers community screening of 'Just Getting By' to spur outreach
Summary
Richmond's Housing Committee debriefed the film 'Just Getting By' and discussed organizing a public screening or shorter clips with incentives, childcare and an up‑to‑date legislative briefing to convert awareness into community action.
Members of the Richmond Housing Committee discussed using the film "Just Getting By" as a community outreach tool during their Jan. 22 meeting, proposing screenings or shorter clip showings paired with incentives and briefing speakers to drive local engagement. Housing committee member Connie suggested a film night with pizza and childcare to attract families and create a space for conversation about local housing needs. "If it encourages watchers to action or at least support of housing issues, that was my personal goal," Connie said.
The committee debated logistics and audience. Mark raised the idea of extracting two or three vignettes to create a 15–20 minute version suitable for broad audiences, and Nick and others warned that films about social issues can draw mainly those already engaged. "Who is the audience for this exactly?" one member asked, urging clarity on whether families and younger viewers would attend.
Virginia, speaking about the emotional impact of the full film, recommended pairing any screening with updated information about recent legislative activity and program changes so the presentation reflects current policy. She noted the film’s production predated an April 2024 program extension and suggested inviting a legislative representative to brief attendees. "If we do this with the movie we should make sure that somebody can present what has happened since then and what the legislature is doing about it right now," she said.
Patty Brushett volunteered to help organize community events and said she thought the film resonated strongly with some residents: her involvement, she said, could help spread workload beyond committee members. The committee also discussed partnering with the Racial Equity Committee on outreach and using venues such as the library or the farmers market for broader visibility.
Next steps: the committee agreed to keep the film screening idea in the Strategic Housing Plan's communications strategy, explore shorter clips for public showings, and identify a speaker to provide a legislative or program update if events are scheduled. There was no formal vote; the proposal will be refined as part of the committee's outreach planning.
