Upcoming Programs

September Program
A New Frontier in Attainable Housing

Thursday, September 10
Center of Clayton
50 Gay Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.
Program is free and open to the public.

Register Here.

What if there was an affordable housing option in St Louis for medium- to low-wage workers, housing for young, upwardly mobile professionals and for individuals exiting out of homelessness? One newly-approved option for all those situations is the SRO – Single Room Occupancy facilities where tenants rent individual bedrooms and share communal kitchen and bathroom facilities. Think of it as a college dorm for grown-ups. Join us to meet the sponsor of this new housing concept, Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, and learn how SROs have been used successfully in other cities.

She will share why they are such an exciting option when supply of affordable housing is tight, new construction is down, rents are rising and the number of known homeless people is up year over year. As the Trump administration is threatening deep cuts to federal funding of permanent supportive housing, SROs could relieve some of that pressure and make a meaningful difference in the region’s ability to address housing insecurity.

Speaker: Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier

Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier is a public servant, mental health advocate, and community organizer who has represented St. Louis’s Seventh Ward on the Board of Aldermen since April 2023. A born-and-raised St. Louisan, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and traces her calling to serve to a life in which caring for her community came as naturally as breathing. Her path to public service was forged in movement work: she organized during the Ferguson Uprising and, as a student leader at Saint Louis University, helped lead the OccupySLU sit-in. She went on to serve on the St. Louis Board of Education from 2021 to 2023, where she chaired the budget committee, helped pass a district-wide wage increase for teachers and staff, and facilitated the 87% passage of Proposition S to improve learning conditions in city schools. In April 2025, she won re-election to a full four-year term with 67% of the vote.

Sonnier has built a legislative record centered on housing stability, tenant protection, and support for the city’s most vulnerable residents. She sponsored the creation of a citywide rental registry to hold negligent property owners accountable, passed the Tax Accountability in Development Act requiring developers seeking tax incentives to be current on their taxes, updated zoning to make it more equitable to open shelters across the city, secured protections ensuring renters have safe indoor temperatures, and helped direct millions of dollars in critical funding to the unhoused community. Her Board Bill 41 established the City’s first formal framework for certifying and partnering with Community Development Corporations—the neighborhood-based organizations that develop affordable housing, revitalize commercial corridors, and return vacant property to productive use.

She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee and is a member of the City’s Continuum of Care, where she sits on the Advocacy and Program Performance Committees. She is also a Planning Commissioner, a board member of the St. Louis Development Corporation, a member of Local Progress’s national Housing Steering Committee, an advisory board member for AllTru Credit Union’s Community Development Financial Institution, and Vice President of the Abortion Action Missouri Board of Directors.

Sonnier is driven by the conviction that basic needs -including housing- are human rights, that a healthy, thriving family life should not be an inaccessible luxury, and that lasting change requires building a St. Louis that works for #ALLNotSome, not just those who already have a secure place in it.

October Program
A Looming Crisis For Seniors

Thursday, October 8
Center of Clayton
50 Gay Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.
Program is free and open to the public.

Nearly 20% of St. Louis seniors are living in poverty and that number is increasing every year. Thousands more seniors have incomes above the federal poverty line yet still can’t cover basic living expenses. Rising housing costs, growing medical needs, transportation barriers, and drastic cuts to federal programs are squeezing older adults from every direction. A “fiscal cliff” is looming as the state’s pandemic-era budget surplus is depleted, leaving nonprofits and communities scrambling to fill an ever-widening gap.

Every one of us is aging. We all deserve to grow older with dignity, in a place we can call home. That shared stake is exactly why this moment demands our attention. The “Seniors Count” county ballot initiative is designed to help meet this growing emergency. Bridgette Gittemeier – a leader in the Seniors Count movement – will share her expert perspectives on the current situation and lay out what individuals, organizations, and policymakers can do to make a difference.

Speaker: Bridgette Gittemeir

A driven rising professional with the heart of a helper, Gittemeir is passionate about supporting older adults and strengthening communities. A St. Louis native, she left home to earn her bachelor’s degree at Purdue University, where she worked with older adults, children with neurodiversity, teenagers, peers, and adults with substance use disorders.

After graduation, she returned to St. Louis and began working in direct service, first as a behavioral health case manager and later with her local Area Agency on Aging. These experiences deepened her passion for older adults and gave her an intimate understanding of the needs of vulnerable populations, while strengthening her relationship-building skills.

She later transitioned into advocacy and capacity-building, developing new skills while working alongside advocates committed to helping Missourians age well. Today, she focuses on her home community, educating St. Louis County residents about Proposition S and the importance of establishing a senior citizens services fund.

From singing karaoke at a senior center to speaking with community leaders, she brings energy, heart, and a commitment to helping older adults thrive.