Lisa Owens

Lisa Owens is the Executive Director of the housing justice organization, City Life/Vida Urbana, which builds the power and leadership of working class communities to work for social, racial and economic justice and gender equity. City Life’s work is to stop the displacement of working class communities through “the sword” (community organizing and public pressure) and “the shield” (coordinated legal defense)—and to create permanent social ownership of land and housing.

Lisa has been actively involved in building local grassroots organizations and national social movements for over 25 years.  A seasoned educator, she also occasionally teaches courses at area colleges on structural racism, US social welfare policy, participatory action research, and nonprofit management and leadership.

Lisa serves on the boards of several social justice organizations connected to community control of land and housing, including: the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust, Alternatives for Community and Environment, the Resist Foundation, the Right to the City/Homes for All National Alliance, and the Right to the City Boston network.