Elliott Matos and Adrian Hernandez chat about the housing situation in Greene County and beyond, and what the organizing scene is up to.

Elliott Peter Matos (he/they) is a local social justice activist and global dj event producer. He holds a BA in Human Rights from Bard College. Growing up, mostly in the suburbs of Manhattan, on Long Island, he was essential in organizing Pride On 8th in Manhattan during the late 90’s. In 2023, Elliott was asked to become the Catskill Coordinator of the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition where he now serves as the director of operations working on tenant’s rights and the intersections of criminal justice and education. He also serves on the Village of Catskill’s Zoning Board and as committee member of the Catskill Waterfront Revitalization Program Committee, the Hudson Valley Pride Committee, and as vice-president of the Catskill Farmers Market Committee.

Adrian Hernandez (they/them/elle) is a housing rights organizer living in Catskill NY. Adrian is a queer chicanx of Mexican-European descent and was raised on the West Coast before moving to the East Coast to study Environmental Engineering at Brown University. Adrian currently works as an environmental scientist and models pollution and remediation in water bodies. Adrian became involved in Catskill Artists and Creatives for Housing Equity (CACHE) shortly after moving to Catskill in 2023 and is one of the main organizers in the group.