Preble Street’s Homeless Voices for Justice program hosted Congressional candidate Chellie Pingree at a forum for voters earlier this morning. The forum took place in Preble Street’s dining room just after breakfast and was an opportunity for the agency’s consumers to ask questions and engage in dialogue with the candidate.

The candidates’ forum is a key component of HVJ’s ongoing voter education efforts. In the past months, HVJ has coordinated breakfasts with city council, legislative, and congressional candidates. Their goal is to give these candidates the unique opportunity to listen to the people who use Preble Street Resource Center and learn what their biggest concerns are in this election year.

The Homeless Voices for Justice program at Preble Street conducts a "You Don’t Need A Home To Vote" voter registration drive yearly that has registered over 1200 voters in the past several years. Preble Street serves an average of 350 people each day, most of whom are already registered voters, representing a sizable cross-section of Portland. The Homeless Voices for Justice program and Preble Street are committed to making the voices of homeless people heard in this election.