Voices of Supportive Housing

Voices of Supportive Housing (#VoicesofSH) is a space for supportive housing providers, executives, family members, and self-advocates to tell stories, ask questions, give answers, and share resources.

Learn more at the Supportive Housing Resource Center.

Voices of Supportive Housing Episodes

Deb DeSantis, President & CEO, CSH

Deb De Santis discusses the voices missing from the conversation around supportive housing are the voices of the people who have lived in places and, due to rising prices, can no longer afford to live in these same places anymore. She reminds supportive housing providers that they’re not alone in this fight, and they should pick up the phone and learn from the larger network of providers.

Allison Gaiter, Speak Up! Advocate, CSH

Allison shares her story of homelessness, both with her children and on her own, and how her life turned around once she gained access to the appropriate mental health and housing services. Allison is currently a peer support activist, a community activist, and a tenant leader in Chicago, Illinois.

Christine Mirasy-Glasco, Executive Director, Upward Bound House

Christine discusses her work at Upward Bound House to eliminate homelessness for families with children. Upward Bound House tackles homelessness with a three-pronged approach: working to increase family income, supplying affordable housing, and supporting continued education for children.

Kelli Ford, Property Manager, Brilliant Corners

Kelli talks about the ways in which she and the team at Brilliant Corners combat community resistance to supportive housing developments in Los Angeles. Kelli notes the hardest individuals to place are the medically fragile.

Dianne Johnson, Production + Inventory Trainee, MADE by DWC

Dianne shares the story of how she came to be homeless. She calls for government officials to step up and provide a minimum wage that is a living wage.

Karen Wheeler, Business Development Manager, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc.

Karen discusses her work to combat NIMBYism, newly appointed funds for housing development in Oregon, and her hopes for the future. She discusses the shifts in people’s thinking toward trauma-informed care and a focus on early childhood development in order to eliminate the cycle of poverty.

Matt Tice, Clinical Director, Pathways to Housing PA

Matt talks about the success of Pathways to Housing PA, which has 100% housing retention rate and 54% of its participants voluntarily engaging in medically assisted treatments. Matt also discusses the uptick in heroin use in Philadelphia and how that has affected homelessness rates and the ways in which his agency is providing services.

Ann Oliva, Senior Policy Advisor, CSH

Former HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs, Ann Oliva highlights some national tools agencies can use to understand data and the systems that need to be paired up in order for supportive housing to operate to its fullest potential. She also discusses finding funding resources not just in the public sphere but also in the private sector.

Pamela Jefsen, Executive Director, Supportive Housing Communities

Pamela speaks about the homeless populations in North Carolina, the lack of attention for the neediest populations, and the increased conversations surrounding homelessness. She calls for supportive housing providers to lean on each other and keep at it, as it will be a marathon, not a sprint.

Jennifer Ho (formerly Senior Advisor, HUD)

Jennifer explains the need for making the case to all stakeholders for proven, cost-effective supportive housing programs. She provides examples of successful Housing First initiatives and using Medicaid as a tool to connect people with housing.

Patrick Germain (formerly Chief Strategy Officer, Project Renewal)

In this discussion, Patrick talks about using data and information to track programs and develop new ones. By using an electronic record, Project Renewal is able to measure the accuracy and success of their goals.

Avi Bowie (formerly Director of Youth Programs, Center on Halsted)

Avi touches on the tremendous need for supportive housing in the LGBTQ community, especially for youth. Hear how empowering individuals to be actively engaged in their own action plans and provide feedback on the services they receive has been a successful model for Center on Halsted.

Marcie James, Family Advocate, Memphis Strong Families

Marcie addresses how the model of thinking in the industry is shifting, placing tenants in the ‘driver’s seat’. She talks about inspiring and motivating tenants to become their own best advocate and build back trust through services like motivational interviewing.

Daniel Nelson, Director, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls

Daniel reminds us that without the basic need for shelter, food and clothing, it is difficult to start working on the more sophisticated domains in life. He talks about the intangible benefits of data that allow you to identify variables that are successful, to help providers master the craft of supporting the families they work with.

Steve Dilella, Director of Homeless Services, State of CT

Learn how Steve bridges the gap between the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Department of Housing because they are two integral parts of supportive housing. He touches on how partnerships and their coordinated access system can help them reach HUD goals.

Tim Hunnicutt, Co-Founder/CEO, Zero Day

Tim discusses partnering with the private sector to develop community projects to employ veterans. By doing so, they are giving their veterans a new mission– to better their community.