Feb 19, 2021Ending Homelessness Together #8 — Don’t We Need More Shelters?“California is a Garden of Eden, but If you ain’t got the do re mi, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.” — Woody Gutherie In California, in every city and town, on the side of the freeway, near the railroad tracks, it is suddenly the…Homeless5 min readHomeless5 min read
Jan 25, 2021Ending Homeless Together #7 — Calling Business ChampionsIn San Diego (and in many urban areas) businesses lead the charge to solve social problems. I spent 20 years there working on affordable housing, workforce development, and social change, and one of my favorite partners was the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. Their former director, Julie Meier Wright…Affordable Housing3 min readAffordable Housing3 min read
Jan 4, 2021Ending Homelessness Together #6 — What Should We Do About Encampments?They are in nearly every California city. If you drive down major freeways, or take the Amtrak, you see them alongside the road and tracks: tents. Like a Steinbeck dystopia or grainy black and white photos of Hoovervilles from high school History class, thousands of Californians are living in tents…Homelessness4 min readHomelessness4 min read
Dec 9, 2020Ending Homelessness Together #5 — “Can’t We Make Them Go Away?”I knew we were in trouble. When the director of parks was asked by a city councilmember, “What do you think we should do about homelessness?,” she answered, “Make them go away.” Where was the leadership? The councilmember was asking staff and the staff member was throwing up her hands. …Homeless4 min readHomeless4 min read
Dec 4, 2020Ending Homelessness Together #4 — Should I call the police?Have you ever called the police on homeless people? I have. And, I was running a homeless shelter at the time. With all the news these days about calling the police on people, and the unintended consequences, why would I do such a thing for people I care about? The…Homelessness4 min readHomelessness4 min read
Nov 25, 2020Ending Homelessness Together #3 — Don’t They Want To Be Homeless?I have called homelessness “the stupid problem” because all it takes to end it is to give someone a home. “But,” you say, “Don’t most of them want to be homeless?” If you have ever asked a person on the streets if they would rather be housed, and they answer…5 min read5 min read
Nov 13, 2020Ending Homelessness Together #2 — Systems of CareIf ending homelessness is simply a matter of putting people in housing, why do we need a system of care? The answer is that homelessness is not homogenous. Each person has a story. Each person becomes homeless for different, and not always obvious reasons. Iain de Jong, one of the…Continuum Of Care4 min readContinuum Of Care4 min read
Nov 10, 2020Ending Homelessness Together #1: The Stupid ProblemIf you live in California, they have become part of the landscape. People without homes are on the corner, at the freeway underpass, along the railroad tracks and highways, and you either want them to go away, or you wish you could do more. The answer is actually simple. Someone…Homelessness Epidemic2 min readHomelessness Epidemic2 min read
