The Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama will hold two listening sessions on Wednesday to learn more about the housing situation within Dallas County.

The sessions will be held at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Regis Square Apartment Homes Clubhouse located at 303 Hilltop Drive in Selma.  LIHCA is a nonprofit organization started in 2007 that specializes in community and organizational development strategies to improve the lives of low-income persons with special needs.

“This is our chance to come to Selma and hear what the housing need is in Dallas County and the surrounding area,” said Jenny Camp, project associate of the Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama.

Selma will be the fifth stop for the LIHCA this year as part of a statewide tour.

In 2014, the coalition released a book called “The Red Book” that identified the housing need in the state of Alabama, listed by county.

The analysis from The Red Book identified Dallas County’s housing need level as critical, given the county’s high poverty and jobless rates.

“Based on the analysis we did of the data, there is a real need in Dallas County for low income, rental housing,” Camp said.

By coming to Selma, LICHA is hoping to talk to working families, housing providers, local officials and policy makers about the condition of the housing market in the Dallas County area.

“We can look at data but it’s always something different when you get to a community and talk to the people there,” Camp said. “So that’s what we’re hoping to hear — what the need is and to tell the people in [the Selma] area what we’ve been working on at the state level and to see how we can improve affordable housing in the Dallas County area.”

Those who plan to attend are asked to reserve their seat by calling Camp at 205-939-0411 ext. 208 or emailing her at jenny@lihca.org.

Camp said there is more room available in the 6 p.m. session than at 3 p.m., but there is space available in both.