Fresno’s Tower Theater became the home of the queer community and its allies who gathered for the second annual Queer Housing Summit on Saturday, Aug. 24, to share their common goals for inclusive housing.

“How can we keep marginalized populations in mind as we tend and care for our community,” said Jess Fitzpatrick, a genderqueer host of the Queer Housing Summit. “What seeds do we wish to gather and what do we want to plant for future generations?”

The Queer Housing Summit began in 2023 to create an inclusive space where community advocates and allies could share their knowledge for equitable housing, focusing on marginalized communities such as queer, trans and gender-expansive individuals.

The event was split into two panels, morning and afternoon.

Stan Beltran Johnson, vice president of the South Tower Community Land Trust and founder of BlaQueer Fresno, spoke of the importance of community.

“I want to thank the Central Valley black reparations fund for their support of the Queer Housing Summit and the work they have done to make sure that descendants of enslaved Africans collect the debt that is way overdue,” Johnson said. “This is what allyship looks like. This is what community looks like. This is what Fresno feels like.”

Afterward came five rapid presentations.

Communities Centering Non-Drivers by Ruth Rosas discussed the importance of advocating for the needs of non-drivers. To understand this, she challenges others to go a week without driving.

Hemp in Construction by Elliot Bailey detailed alternative methods of constructing homes with the industrial hemp due to their sustainability and versatility.

Tower District Culture and Art Preservation by Brooke Payton spoke about the Tower District Preservation Association. They are responsible for preserving and promoting the historical characteristics of the area such as the sixty-nine lamp posts that were repainted and preserved south of Olive Avenue.

Renting Solutions for Trans Community by Fitzpatrick followed their own personal journey of finding secure housing.

In the “Queer Guide to Homeownership” seminar, Izzi Woods, a panel presenter, suggested the importance of talking to a lender.

“Lenders will give you clear credit card reports, give you realistic advice and guide you towards programs that can help you fix your credit,” Woods said. “They help you plan where you can afford, what you can afford and how you’re going to get there.”

However, Woods mentioned that brokers who work for an independent lending house are the type of lenders to take note of.

“Don’t go with a banker, don’t go to Bank of America or Chase or whoever you bank with, you’re going to get a worse rate, which means you’re going to pay more in interest rates,” Woods said.

For more information, the presentation is available online.

During lunch, drag queens Paloma Foxx and Rose Monae Padelle gave an electrifying lip-sync performance.

Keynote speaker Madeline Pendleton, CEO and founder of Tunnel Vision, author of I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt and TikTok sensation also spoke.

“Housing prices [are] astronomically high, right,” Pendleton said. “Housing is a human right. We should not have to pay to live like this. This is wild, it’s very competitive, very unfair, but I always thought it was impossible. And it turns out, it’s not impossible, it’s just way harder than it should be.”

Pendleton also spoke of their own journey of buying a home, suggesting that co-ownership may be a solution to housing issues. She said that up to five people can be put on a mortgage after sharing their own experience of co-owning a home with their partner and close friend.

The session ended with a Q&A portion and a book signing.

The afternoon agenda had five panels to choose from.

In the “Caring Across Generations” seminar, Josh Dubnsky, a housing policy advocate for SAGE, presented the importance of assisting queer elders and the actions already taking place to help them. He spoke of the Lavender Courtyard by Mutual Housing, the first LGBTQ+ senior housing community in Sacramento, funded by HCD‘s multifamily housing program.

The Lavender Courtyard came into fruition when it became apparent to LGBTQ+ activists that LGBTQ+ seniors needed a form of secure housing. This milestone event stands as an opportunity for more inclusive spaces in other agricultural towns like Fresno.

In an interview with The Collegian, similar sentiments were expressed by Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, founding executive director of the South Tower Community Land Trust.

“These kinds of conversations [housing] get pulled into the larger metro areas like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York,” Lopez-Schmidt said.“So being more of a mid-sized city and the challenges that The LGBTQ+ community faces in Fresno are more similar to more cities across the country. I think that started to resonate with folks.”

Community was the focal point for the Queer Housing Summit.

“What we want to be paying attention to over the years is what kind of collaborations are grown out of the summit,” said Lopez-Schmidt.

They look forward to the possible partnerships that may develop in future summits and even hopes to work with the developers of the Lavender Courtyard one day.

Lopez-Schmidt also suggested various housing resources. Tenants Together assits tenants by educating them on their rights as renters. WestCare-The Living Room helps individuals with HIV/AIDS receive housing, medical and mental health resources. Fresno Housing, one of the event’s sponsors, provides applicants with Housing Choice Vouchers for affordable housing.

In closing, drag queens, Adela Volly and Steph Infection performed for the audience. Following the performance, farmer, author and poet Nikiko Masumoto read her poem, “A Long Welcome.”

The final words spoken by Masumoto encapsulate the driving message made by the Queer Housing Summit:

“You are welcome here, we are welcome.”

More information and the visual notes made by Alfred Twu can be found on the Queer Housing Summit website or Instagram.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed Jess Fitzpatrick’s occupation. His husband, (Jordan) Crow Fitzpatrick, is a genderqueer therapist.