2025 Conference Recordings & Presentations

Thursday, March 6 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Opening Plenary Session

Solidarity in Action: Building Power to Transform Communities

Sponsored by Chase Bank

This session will focus on how we achieve inclusion and prosperity in a time in which demographic change, economic uncertainty, and political polarization have become major trends. How do we develop and strengthen a sense of community and shared fate in this context? What is the role of bold leadership, cross-sector conversation, and movement building to truly build power and create change? And what is the special role for California and advocates, developers, and policymakers in the housing sector?

Keynote Speaker:

• Dr. Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California

Thursday, March | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Afternoon Plenary Session

Re-Imagining the Role of the State

Sponsored by U.S. Bank

California is at an inflection point that will determine whether we will meet our aspirations to be a state that can deliver on our golden promise of affordable homes, health, and prosperity for all in thriving, sustainable communities. The results of the November 2024 election reflect growing skepticism about traditional institutions’ ability to address critical issues like rising housing costs and homelessness. Despite the political shifts that will surely complicate our collective efforts, there is an opportunity to reimagine the state’s role in solving these challenges by transforming its governance so that its approach to funding and service delivery can meet the needs of Californians.

Transformation will require large-scale investments in housing and infrastructure, reforming outdated processes and practices, and addressing overstressed service systems—issues that have long hindered the rapid, equitable expansion of affordable housing and person-centered support for Californians at risk of or experiencing housing instability and homelessness. This panel will explore the necessary conditions for a more vibrant and effective housing and homelessness policy landscape and identify key changes needed to expand government-led infrastructure and increase accountability for tangible impacts.

Plenary Speakers:

• Chione Flegal, Executive Director, Housing California
• Joseph Tomás McKellar, Executive Director, PICO California
• Libby Schaaf, Former Mayor of Oakland, HUD Appointee to MTC/BAHFA
• Shola Olatoye, Chief Operating Officer, Eden Housing, Inc
• Veronica Lewis, Director, HOPICS

Friday, March 7 | 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Morning Plenary Session

Lived Experience as Technical Expertise: Building Power by Bridging the Divide

People who have experienced homelessness and housing instability have expert knowledge of the housing affordability and homelessness crisis. Yet despite the strengths that this knowledge can bring to solutions, much of the power sits with people with limited lived experience of the day-to-day issues that come up. What could our movement for housing justice achieve if solutions were driven by those with direct experience of housing insecurity and homelessness and reflected in our policymaking, campaigns, and program delivery? In an environment where anti-homelessness rhetoric and action is on the rise, it is even more important to rethink our movement in a way that puts those most impacted by our systems in a co-pilot role to go beyond attesting to impacts, and rather, to build true solidarity to determine root causes and prioritize and pursue solutions. Join us for a lively discussion among individuals who have integrated both their lived experience and technical expertise to build power and enact meaningful change.

Plenary Speakers:

• Julie Lo, Deputy Director of Programs, Housing California
• Dr. LaMont Green, Director, TAC
• Margo Velez, Senior Leader and Network Facilitator, RUN / HEAL Network
• Ocean Blue Coast, Housing Organizer, Senior and Disability Action
• Sabrina Fuentes, Case Manager/MAT Navigator, HEPPA

CalAIM in Focus: Aligning Medi-Cal Funding with Housing and Homelessness Programs

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), a transformation initiative in California’s Medi-Cal program that launched in 2022, provides significant opportunities for collaboration among community-based organizations, local government agencies, and Medi-Cal managed care plans to assist people experiencing homelessness — or at risk of experiencing homelessness. CalAIM’s goals include using Medi-Cal to address the social factors that impact people’s health and behavioral health, including the ability to find housing, move in, and remain successfully housed.

This learning lab will focus on supporting affordable housing nonprofits and homeless service providers as they explore pursuing contracts with Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans to provide the Community Supports and Enhanced Care Management services that can be available through CalAIM. We will focus on the services that are particularly relevant to people experiencing homelessness, including (but not limited to) Housing Transition Navigation Services, Housing Deposits, and Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services.

Presenters:

• Jessica Delaney, Blue Shield California, Program Manager, CalAIM Incentives
• Danielle McCluskey, MidPen Housing, Senior Director, Resident Services
• Tessa Nápoles, Terner Center for Housing Innovation, Postdoctoral Researcher
• Alexis Nshamamba, Good Samaritan, Director of Housing & Quality Assurance
• Natalie Reider, Jamboree Housing, Senior Vice President
• Katie Wilbur, RH Community Builders, Executive Director
• Carol Wilkins, Consultant
• Cheryl Winter, CSH, Associate Director, California State Policy

Demystifying Investor LOIs, Lender Debt Term Sheets, and the Finance Partner Selection Process

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

Success! You’ve just won a tax credit or bond award, and now it’s time to select a lender and Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) investor. How do you go about the process? How do you interpret lender term sheets and investor Letters of Intent (LOIs)? Our panel of lenders, investors, developers, and financial consultant experts will reveal what’s behind the curtain in the lender and investor selection process. You’ll walk away empowered with the know-how and courage to select and onboard your investor and lender partners. Join us!

Presenters:

• Ben Creed, California Housing Partnership, Senior Financial Consultant
• Diana Downtons, Community Economics, Inc., Senior Affordable Housing Finance Consultant
• Michael Duarte, Fresno Housing Authority, Director, Real Estate Development and Property Management
• Claire Parisa, Enterprise Community Partners, Director of Acquisitions
• Tamar Sarkisian, Capital One, Capital Officer

Introduction to Affordable Housing Development and Finance

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

The groundbreakings and grand openings get all the press and photo-ops, but this Learning Lab shines a light on what happens behind the scenes from before the shovel goes into after the ribbon gets cut. We’ll introduce you to the people, agencies, and funding programs that turn affordable housing from an idea to a reality, as well as the forces that shape where that housing is sited, how it looks, and whom it houses.

Presenters:

• Michelle Espinosa Coulter, California Housing Partnership, Associate Director, Financial Consulting
• Cristina Martinez, California Housing Partnership, Senior Financial Consultant
• Al Ujimori, Community Economics, Inc., Affordable Housing Finance Consultant
• Matthew Wickersham, AMJ Construction Management, Inc., Principal
• Denice Wint, EAH Housing, Vice President, Real Estate Development (California)

Leading Teams Through Crisis and Uncertainty

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

Unpredictability defines the new normal in the housing justice sector. From funding cuts and policy changes to community disasters and staff burnout, leaders at all levels must be prepared to navigate crises effectively — and now more than ever. This isn’t just about reacting — it’s about leading with confidence and empowering your team.

This practical, hands-on workshop provides you with a practical crisis leadership toolkit filled with actionable strategies. Bring your specific challenges and work through them using structured decision-making processes, proven crisis response strategies, and collaborative problem-solving. Through scenario-based learning, leadership frameworks, and problem-solving exercises, you will:

• Understand the critical differences between leading and managing during a crisis.
• Strengthen your decision-making under pressure.
• Learn strategies to build trust, maintain morale, and keep your team engaged during uncertain times.
• Develop a concrete action plan for addressing your own leadership challenges.

This session helps anyone develop stronger crisis leadership skills, regardless of their title. We look forward to seeing you there!

Presenters:

• Shannon Wheatley, Lane9, Chief Executive Officer

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits Fundamentals

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit remains the most important and one of the most complex financing tools for the creation and preservation of affordable housing in California. This Learning Lab combines lessons from Financial Consultants and presentations from California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) staff to introduce the nuts and bolts of the tax credit program. Participants will learn how to calculate Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity and navigate CTCAC’s 9% scoring system. Whether you’re new to affordable housing or already working on CTCAC applications, you’ll benefit from this interactive session.

Presenters:

• Genise Choy, California Housing Partnership, Senior Financial Consultant
• David Eisenman, Merritt Community Capital, Associate Director of Acquisitions
• Adrienne Gemheart, California Housing Partnership, Senior Financial Consultant
• Anthony Zeto, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Deputy Director

Project Closeout: Skills for a Successful Permanent Conversion

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

There is a lot of focus on assembling your development’s financing and getting to the start of construction, but what about the second closing that happens at conversion to permanent financing? There is so much for a development team to manage: demonstrating stabilized occupancy, cost certifications, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity adjusters, permanent loan underwriting, additional public funding sources, and applying to the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) for your 8609. In this Lab, you’ll learn from industry experts how best to navigate this stage in the development cycle.

Presenters:

• Sherin Bennett, California Housing Partnership, Director, Financial Consulting
• Alexandra Dawson, Century Housing, Director, Underwriting & Training
• David Dologite, Merritt Community Capital, Director of Acquisitions
• Thai-An Ngo, California Housing Partnership, Finance Consultant
• Marisol Parks, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Program Manager
• Diane SooHoo Lee, CTCAC, Program Manager – Development (Placed in Service)

Tax-exempt Bond FUNdamentals

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

This learning lab has been a staple of Housing California for the past 20 years. The purpose of this Learning Lab is to introduce the basics of tax-exempt bonds relating to affordable housing finance. The workshop will teach the basic and technical requirements, the who and why of the multitude of players, the process of obtaining a bond volume cap allocation from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), general deal structuring, and the costs of issuance.

Presenters:

• Maxwell Albrecht, California Housing Partnership, Financial Consultant
• Josh Anzel, Anzel Galvan LLP, Partner
• Lauren Maddock, California Housing Partnership, Senior Director
• Anthony Stubbs, California Municipal Finance Authority, Financial Advisor to the CMFA

Understanding the Legal Documents and Closing Process in an Affordable Housing Transaction

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes

Financing affordable housing requires the assemblage of multiple funding sources. This results in a voluminous set of loan documents. This workshop will unravel the mystery of this paper so that you can understand why these documents are so important and what they do. We will first discuss the fundamentals of financing and borrower-entity structuring and formation documents. We will then go through key terms in loan documents and also discuss in brief key public agency requirements such as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), prevailing wages, Article 34, relocation, and accessibility. Finally, we will close out the seminar with a discussion of title, recordation, and closing issues.

Presenters:

• Isabel Brown, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, Attorney
• Matt Heaton, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, Attorney
• Minda Hickey, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP, Attorney

Homelessness 101

Track 2: Solve Homelessness

Session Description: With 187,000 people experiencing homelessness statewide on any given night, homelessness continues to be a top-of-mind crisis for voters, policymakers, and most importantly, those at risk of or experiencing it. But that’s about where the agreements end. As homelessness has become a salient issue in California media, a range of narratives and myths are circulating. And those who do try to learn more and go deeper are confronted with a web of acronyms and terms that sometimes add more confusion.

This session will help demystify and provide the basics: Who is experiencing homelessness? Why is this crisis here now? What does the federal, state, and local response to homelessness look like? And lastly, what needs to happen to see more progress? If you are new to working on homelessness and want to know the fundamentals, this learning lab is for you.

Presenters:

• Lisa Bates, Sacramento Steps Forward, CEO
• Monica Davalos, California Budget Center, Senior Policy Analyst
• Alex Visotzky, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Senior California Policy Fellow
• Cody Zeger, California Interagency Council on Homelessness, Director of Statewide Policy

Everyone, Everywhere, All the Time: How Each of us Can Shape a New Housing Narrative

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets

When each of us is trained to share effective and impactful stories about what a home means to us and when and when social media, TV shows, Tiktok influencers and news articles share those stories and our friends, neighbors and community members share those stories with each other, we create new narratives with real life accounts, chronicles of triumph and hardship, and images and messages that shape how people think. Our charge is to advance a narrative about housing as a basic need that requires public support and investment. To get there, we need to get people to buy in.

This learning lab is all about how you can do that.

Presenters:

• Marisol Bello, Housing Narrative Lab, Executive Director
• Lydia Garcia, Community Storyteller/Peer Specialist, Community Storyteller/Peer Specialist
• Greg Kaufman, End Poverty in California (EPIC), Chief Advisor, Storytelling & Narrative
• Jessica Vozella, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Sr. Program Manager

Workshop Session 1 (One)

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing in Housing Elements: Lessons on AB 686 from the Sixth Cycle

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

The end of the Sixth Cycle Housing Element drafting process marks the end of the first Housing Element drafting cycle since AB 686–California’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Law–was passed in 2019. Public Advocates has led a collective effort to study the impacts of AB 686 on Bay Area Housing Elements, with the hopes that some lessons will apply statewide. This workshop looks to share what the study has taught us and dig into the implications for housing law and policy statewide.

Presenters:

• Cristál Gallegos, Vallejo Housing Justice Coalition, Director
• Marisa Prasse, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Senior Fair Housing Manager
• Dyan Ruiz, People Power Media & REP-SF Coalition, CoFounder
• Alex Schafran, Schafran Strategies, Principal
• Skylar Spear, Public Advocates, Legal Fellow

Bridging Equity Gaps: Building Living Wages and Pay Equity in California’s Affordable Housing Organizations

Track 7: Foster a Strong & Purposeful Housing Justice Sector – Workshop

This workshop is geared toward equity-focused organizational leaders, human resources professionals, and internal culture champions.

We will explore the intersection of living wages, organizational sustainability, and racial equity in California’s affordable housing organizations. Participants will learn strategies to address workforce equity by learning about living wage floors and uncovering and repairing pay inequities. The session will highlight best practices and innovations that support recruitment, retention, and organizational impact, with a focus on just and equitable compensation structures.

Presenters:

• Miriam Benavide, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, Chief People Office
• Katie Lamont, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, Chief Operating Officer
• Marissa McNeil, Edgility Consulting, Principal Consultant
• Joel Roberts, PATH Ventures, Former CEO
• Kevin Zwick, Kevin Zwick Consulting, Owner and Principal Consultant

Don’t Let an Aggregator Steal Your Legacy

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

A growing national trend in the affordable housing industry today is predatory for-profit investors or aggregators whose goal is to deprive nonprofit affordable housing developers of their right to retain ownership of their projects after the 15-year compliance period. Nonprofit housing developers need to know the actions they can take when they learn to their detriment that the limited partner they negotiated with years ago has now sold its partner interest for a bargain to an investor looking solely for the opportunity to capture the equity in affordable housing projects.

Presenters:

• David Davenport, BC Davenport, LLC, Attorney
• Katherine Fleming, EAH Housing, Chief Portfolio Officer
• Ted M. Handel, Decro Corporation, Chief Executive Officer
• Moha Thakur, National Housing Trust, Public Policy Initiatives Manager

Hot Topics in Housing and Homelessness

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Interact directly with affordable housing and homelessness policy experts and get an inside look at the policy themes dominating the State Capitol in 2025. Hear the latest on affordable housing and homelessness-related bills and budget priorities sponsored by Housing California and partners, and get all your questions answered by those working in the Capitol.

Presenters:

• Brian Augusta, Public Interest Advocates, President
• Marina Espinoza, California Housing Consortium, Policy Director
• Divya Shiv, Housing California, Senior Policy Advocate – Homelessness Policy
• Natalie Spievack, Housing California, Senior Policy Advocate
• Jeanie Ward Waller, Fearless Advocacy, Inc., Director of Transportation Advocacy

Housing as a Climate Strategy: Opportunities to Leverage Infrastructure Dollars and Accelerate Housing with Advanced Climate Solutions

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

Learn how to align housing & climate resources! The federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a program included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The first-of-its-kind, nations-scale program includes several initiatives led by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to mobilize financing and private capital to address the climate crisis through building decarbonization in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The panelists will share updates on the status and outlook of these resources. Learn about recent and upcoming opportunities to access projects (including rooftop and community solar, microgrids, and energy-efficient upgrades and weatherization), real project examples, and how this connects to State efforts to encourage infill and adaptive reuse across the state in Executive Order N-2-24.

Presenters:

• Ryan Cassidy, Mutual Housing California, Vice President, Real Estate
• Andrew Dawson, California Housing Partnership, Policy Advocacy Manager
• Sean Kennedy, CA Strategic Growth Council, Deputy Director of Energy Investments
• Sasha Kergan, Business, Consumer Services & Housing Agency, Deputy Secretary of Housing
• Jonathan Russell, Alameda County Health, Housing and Homelessness, Director

Housing as a Human Right: California’s Path to Equity and Justice

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

This workshop will explore California’s push to pass a constitutional amendment recognizing housing as a human right, focusing on potential impacts on frontline communities, government and private stakeholders, and reparative justice efforts. It will connect this initiative to the One Million Homes campaign, which aims to preserve and produce 1.2 million affordable homes by 2030 through innovative funding and community-driven housing models. Participants will learn how new revenue streams and permanent affordability approaches can promote social housing, climate resilience, and equity. The workshop aims to equip policymakers and advocates with strategies to support housing justice and repair racialized harm.

Presenters:

• Francisco Dueñas, Housing Now!, Executive Director
• Brandon Greene, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Director of Policy Advocacy
• Rasheedah Phillips, PolicyLink, Director of Housing and Land Justice
• Kim Reeder, Human Right to Housing Project, Executive Director
• Kath Rogers, ACLU Southern CA, Attorney

Housing First: Navigating Controversy and Politics in the Pursuit of Effective Homelessness Solutions

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Housing First is a progressive approach to addressing homelessness that prioritizes providing permanent, stable housing to individuals before addressing other issues, such as substance abuse or mental health. This model has been widely adopted in many countries and has demonstrated significant success in reducing homelessness and improving overall well-being. Despite its effectiveness, Housing First is not without controversy and can become highly politicized. This panel will explore the multifaceted reasons behind this controversy, examine the political dynamics at play, and underscore why Housing First remains a critical strategy in combating homelessness.

Presenters:

• Bruce Kuban, LifeSTEPS
• Rebecca Louie, Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation, President & CEO
• Jeffrey Najaerian, Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, Wellness Services Manager
• Leepi Shimkhada, Housing for Health, Department of Health Services, Los Angeles County, Deputy Director
• Beth Southorn, LifeSTEPS – Life Skills Training & Educational Programs, Executive Director

Leading from Experience: What Authentic Leadership Looks Like When the Voices of People with Lived Experience are in the Forefront

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Workshop

Lived Experience Advisers (LEA) is a unique organization in the homelessness space – they were founded by people with lived experience as an organization for people with lived experience to develop as leaders. In this session, LEA director and its members will share their activist and advocacy strategies – rooted in lived experience – to fight for housing affordability and justice for the unhoused population from the . We’ll share our best tactics and strategies engaging with council members, policymakers, and the public to change the narrative on homelessness and expand affordable housing. We will also discuss some of the challenges we face in an era of extraordinary anti-homelessness.

Presenters:

• John Brady, Lived Experience Advisers, Director
• Ariane Dalla Déa, Advocate and Consultant
• LaVada Englana, Your Passion Your Purpose, Lived Experience Advisors (LEA), Msz. England, Director of Equity Initiatives
• Sandy Myskowski,
• Wilderness Rose Harris, Lived Experience Advisers, Advisor

Leveraging Project-Based Vouchers to Create and Sustain Permanent Supportive Housing

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Project-based vouchers, part of the federal Housing Choice Voucher program, are an important tool public housing authorities and affordable housing developers use to expand the availability of affordable housing, particularly permanent supportive housing. They serve as a key component of the capital stack to finance Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) development and operating subsidies, promote cross-sector partnerships, and offer a linkage to on-site services. These vouchers are also in increasingly short supply. Learn more about project-based vouchers, how they are being used to expand access to permanent supportive housing, key considerations for tenant-based voucher programs, and the needs our region and beyond are facing.

Presenters:

• Kristen Aster, The People Concern, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy
• Sabrina Gillan, Brilliant Corners, Chief Strategic Partnership Officer
• Zella Knight, BCH, N/A, Resident Leader, Lived Experience Advocate
• Sarah Saadian, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Senior Vice President
• Carlos VanNatter, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Director of Section 8

Overcoming NIMBYism in California’s Most Exclusionary Counties

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Workshop

Building affordable homes remains extremely difficult in some of California’s highest-cost communities due to deeply entrenched NIMBYism–”not in my backyard” attitudes of those who do not want new housing near them.

In this workshop, participants will learn about challenges and opportunities faced by affordable homes from housing advocates in three of the most expensive, exclusionary counties in the state: San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Orange County. Advocates will discuss the political environments that continue to make affordable housing so difficult to build in these areas as well as strategies to overcome them and build broad-based local pro-housing, pro-tenant movements.

Presenters:

• Cesar Covarrubias, Kennedy Commission, Executive Director
• Elaine Johnson, Housing Santa Cruz, Executive Director
• Jeremy Levine, Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, Policy Manager
• Elizabeth Madrigal, MidPen Housing, Policy Manager

Placed-Based Community Development: Elevating Community Voices for Scalable Impact

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

As our state’s housing crisis continues, this session explores the place-based community development model and lessons in local impact that can be replicated in neighborhoods across California. Community Development Corporations (CDCs) play a crucial role in equitable community development by responding to the unique needs of their neighborhoods. Join four CDCs from four different California communities in a discussion on collaborative place-based affordable housing development strategies that meet local housing objectives while centering community voice. Learn how these CDCs are harnessing the power of place, developing intentional partnerships, and working together to build the capacity of local emerging developers.

Presenters:

• Rémy De La Peza, Morena Strategies, Founder, Principal
• Karoleen Feng, MEDA, Chief Real Estate Officer
• Carolyn Johnson, Black Cultural Zone, Chief Executive Officer, CEO
• Takao Suzuki, Little Tokyo Service Center, Director of Community Development
• Mark Wilson, Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), President & CEO

Regional Community Land Trust Solidarity: Scaling the Impact of CLTs Across California

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Roundtable Discussion

Despite the growth of California’s Community Land Trust (CLT) movement, operating capacity is still a challenge for many CLTs, whether they are long-established or just getting off the ground. In three regions, CLTs are innovatively working together across cities, counties, and regions to create joint frameworks for capacity building and financial sustainability. This workshop will explore the work of the CLT Capacity Collaborative in Northern California, the LA CLT Coalition, and the West Marin Housing Collaborative in Marin County and their efforts to develop regional strategies for scaling and increasing the model’s impact through collective governance, fundraising, and shared staffing.

Presenters:

• Saki Bailey, San Francisco Community Land Trust, Executive Director
• Oscar Monge, T.R.U.S.T. South LA (Tenemos que Reclamar y Unidos Salvar la Tierra-South LA), Interim Executive Director
• Aboubacar Ndiaye, Northern California Land Trust, Executive Director
• Jarrod Russell, Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM), Executive Director
• Kyle Smeallie, San Francisco Community Land Trust, Policy Director

Where Has All The (Affordable) Housing Gone? Exploring How Research, Arts, and Community Can Come Together For Housing Justice

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Workshop

This participatory workshop is based on a year-long community and research-based cultural project focusing on the loss of affordable, rent-control housing in the Venice community of Los Angeles. We will explore the issues and tools we used, look at the intersection of research, story-telling, and multi-media arts in our housing movement work, and do one or two poetry/writing exercises using our personal housing histories and actual housing/tenant policies. By starting with the Ellis Act and focusing on the specific, we ended up learning far more, creating possibilities for forming new partnerships and expanding the project across the city.

Presenters:

• Noreen Ahmed, Los Angeles, Intensive case manager
• Judy Branfman, Where Has All The (affordable) Housing Gone?, Director/Producer
• Tom Laichas, Where Has All The (affordable) Housing Gone?, Writer/Poet

Winning Local Renter Protections Campaigns: Lessons Learned from Rural and Suburban Geographies

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

Local organizing and political support for renter protections is growing throughout the state of California, increasingly outside of core urban areas. Learn from advocates and organizers who have led successful renter protections campaigns in rural and suburban communities about the effective campaign design, organizing strategies, and political advocacy needed to win boundary-pushing policies. These campaigns can serve as models for other localities in California, and demonstrate how the housing justice movement can build power across geographies to ultimately win stronger state-level protections for all renters.

Presenters:

• Suzanne Dershowitz, Public Advocates, Senior Staff Attorney
• Jovana Morales-Tilgren, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Housing Policy Coordinator
• Cecilia Pérez Mejía, Rising Juntos, Lead Community Organizer
• Nidia Soto, (blank)
• Luis xago Juárez, Building Healthy Communities, Neighborhood Organizer

Workshop Session 2 (Two)

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM

A New Landscape: The Latest Trends in Lending and Investing in Affordable Housing

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Effective community lending and investing are crucial drivers of affordable housing production and community development. This panel will examine the current landscape, including impacts of the Presidential election, strained State resources, persistent high-costs, challenges with Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), new Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) requirements, and renewed focus on rehabs. The panel discussion will also address market trends, investor appetite and pricing, and strategies to effectively position your housing developments to maximize investment impact and maintain a sustainable development pipeline.

Presenters:

• Irene Choi, Red Stone Equity Partners, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions
• Sebastian Glowacki, US Bank Impact Finance, Senior Vice President
• Fiona Hsu, First Citizens Bank, Executive Director, Head of Community Development Finance
• Eri Kameyama, Chase, Executive Director/Senior Banker
• Mengxin Zhou, Merritt Community Capital, Senior Acquisitions Manager

Addressing Health Needs at Home: How Recuperative Care Programs Support Successful Transitions to Housing

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Recuperative Care—residential programs that offer post-acute care after a hospital stay—is often the last stop before people experiencing homelessness secure permanent housing. While a client’s health will likely improve while in recuperative care, chronic health conditions, physical disabilities, and high rates of medical emergencies and hospitalization can follow them into housing and jeopardize the safety and stability of their new homes. This session will discuss how recuperative care services not only prepare individuals to manage their own health care but also sets them up with assistive devices, medical care, and in-home supports for long-term, successful tenancies.

Presenters:

• Nadya Cabrera, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), Lead Recuperative Care Specialist
• Julia Gaines, he National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Senior Medical Respite Manager, California

Building Inclusive Communities: Housing Solutions for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

Discover innovative housing solutions for adults with developmental disabilities in this session, which showcases successful models, cross-sector collaborations, and equity-driven strategies that foster thriving, inclusive communities. Attendees will gain insights into replicable strategies and practical solutions that can be adapted across California, fostering new partnerships to scale these efforts. This session aligns with the theme of building power to transform communities by ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind in the pursuit of affordable housing and inclusion.

Presenters:

• Jonathan Astmann, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, Associate Director, Real Estate Development
• Melissa Hernandez, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), BART Board of Directors, District 5
• Susan Houghton, Sunflower Hill, Founder
• Lauri Moffet-Fehlberg, DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors, Senior Vice President – Architecture

How We Make Housing First a Success

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Housing First is an evidence-based model that focuses on housing without conditions and providing supportive services according to client needs. In 2016, California passed SB 1380, declaring California a Housing First state and requiring all housing and homelessness services to follow a set of Housing First best practices. This workshop will explore the successes and challenges faced in the implementation of Housing First both at the local and state levels and engage in a discussion with attendees on what resources they need in order to reach California’s vision of making homelessness rare, brief, and one-time.

Presenters:

• Marc Dones, UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, Policy Director
• Veronica Lewis, HOPICS, Director
• Giselle Sanchez, California Interagency Council on Homelessness, Policy Specialist
• Gary Tia, Bay Area Community Services (BACS), Vice President of Operations
• Cody Zeger, California Interagency Council on Homelessness, Director of Statewide Policy

LGBT Advocates are Housing Advocates

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Workshop

Our inequitable housing systems negatively impact Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people, too. Yet, how LGBT communities can benefit from housing justice is rarely highlighted. This workshop will review the existing research on how LGBT people are uniquely affected, what advocates are hearing from LGBT community members themselves about their housing needs, and how to build bridges between LGBT and housing advocates. Our movement for housing justice needs to be intersectional and speak to the needs of and motivate California’s LGBT communities into action.

Presenters:

• Bee Curiel, The TransLatin@ Coalition, Training Programs Manager
• Francisco Dueñas, Housing Now!, Executive Director
• Julia Duranti-Martinez, LISC, Senior Program Officer, Community Research and Impact
• Kiel Lopez Schmidt, South Tower Community Land Trust, Executive Director
• Craig Pulsipher, Equality California, Legislative Director

Los Angeles’ “Mansion Tax”: Lessons Learned after Two Years of Implementing Measure ULA

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Workshop

This workshop convenes representatives from the United to House LA Coalition, housing law experts, labor, and public sector partners to discuss the passage and implementation of Measure ULA (United to House Los Angeles), The City of Los Angeles’s “Mansion Tax,” adopted by voters in 2022. We will discuss how the program came to be, where it is now, and important lessons learned along the way, ranging from dealing with litigation to the development of the fund’s program guidelines. Most importantly, we will explore how these lessons can help other jurisdictions in California create their own measures to redistribute wealth and finance affordable housing production.

Presenters:

• Greg Good, Los Angeles Housing Department, Director of Strategic Engagement & Policy
• Jackson Loop, Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing, Policy Director
• Faizah Malik, Public Counsel, Managing Attorney
• Laura Raymond, ACT-LA, Former ACT-LA Executive Director and ULA Campaign Co-chair
• Antonio Sanchez, IBEW Local 11, Assistant Business Manager/Political Director

Making Affordable Housing Decarbonization Equitable: New State and Federal Investments

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

From extreme heat to aging buildings, California’s housers and tenants face a series of intersecting equity priorities. Major new investments from the state and federal governments represent a historic opportunity to advance housing preservation and enhance resilience against climate emergencies. This workshop will cover the Equitable Building Decarbonization (EBD) program and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). With $560M in proposed funding, EBD will offer holistic implementation of no-cost, all-electric, energy-efficient upgrades. Panelists will discuss project eligibility, technical support, and co-leveraging with other resources. Participants will learn how to integrate EBD and IRA into their portfolio decarbonization strategies.

Presenters:

• Andrew Dawson, California Housing Partnership, Policy Advocacy Manager
• Amy Dryden, Association for Energy Affordability Inc., Senior Director
• Betsy McGovern-Garcia, Self-Help Enterprises, Vice President
• Susan Mills, California Energy Commission, Supervisor
• Ian Sharples, California Housing Partnership, Sustainable Housing Program Manager

Opportunities to Align Housing and Health Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Voters approved Prop 1, which authorized bond funding to expand treatment facilities and permanent housing for those at risk/experiencing homelessness with behavioral health challenges and transforms Behavioral Health Service Act (BHSA) dollars administered by counties, including 30% for ‘Housing Interventions’ starting July 2026. Learn about recent and upcoming funding opportunities to provide housing and services using BHSA funding and California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) resources, and when to engage to prepare for upcoming changes.

Presenters:

• Timothy Lawless, Cal Dept of Housing and Community Development, Branch Chief
• Tawny Macedo, BSCH, Housing Policy Advisor
• Robert Ratner, County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department – Housing for Health Division, Housing for Health Division Director
• Jonathan Russell Alameda County Health, Housing and Homelessness, Director
• Glenn Tsang, California Department of Health Care Services, Policy Advisor for Homelessness and Housing

Starter Homes and Equity: Successes and Lessons Learned in Advancing First-Time Homeownership

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

In this workshop, participants will hear from community-based organizations about successful strategies for building for-sale homes that are affordable to first-time and first-generation homebuyers. Panelists will offer recommendations for increasing the production of these “starter homes” and share their perspectives on the obstacles and opportunities they see in advancing state policies for diversifying homeownership. Attendees will also hear about why homeownership is critical for reducing the racial and ethnic wealth gap.

Presenters:

• Nikki A. Beasley, Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., Executive Director
• Tom Collishaw, Self-Help Enterprises, President & CEO
• Esmeralda Lopez, UnidosUS, State Director, Policy & Advocacy
• Clemente Mojica, NPHS, President and CEO

State Excess Sites: Unlocking Public Land and Advancing Equity in California’s Affordable Housing Industry

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

A diverse panel of state officials, a local district council, and an emerging developer provide insight into the future of California’s State Excess Sites for Affordable Housing Program and how incorporating equity into program guidelines will scale housing production and diversify and build developer capacity. Participants will explore the State’s innovative strategy to maximize impact through a new method of site screening and solicitation on identified public lands, developed in direct response to feedback from the development community. An emerging developer will share their success story of securing development rights for two sites, offering valuable insights and inspiration to other aspiring developers.

Presenters:

• Patrick Foster, CA Department of General Services (DGS), Chief, Asset Management Branch
• Alexis Laing, Laing Companies, President and CEO
• Macy Leung, Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”), Senior Housing Policy Development Specialist
• Gabriel Speyer, Le Sar Development Consultants, Senior Principal
• Christina Sutton, CA Housing and Community Development (HCD), Innovative Projects Section Chief, Data & Innovation
• Joy Woo, Urban Land Institute, San Francisco, Senior Director

Storied Communities, Community Stories: Resident Perspective in Community Development

Track 7: Foster a Strong & Purposeful Housing Justice Sector – Roundtable Discussion

Join us for an engaging discussion around the findings of Storied Communities, Community Stories, a research report exploring how residents perceive their local community-serving institutions, and the impact residents have on those institutions. Through intentional engagement, the research captures diverse resident narratives, providing a valuable resource for community practitioners. At each of the roundtables in this session, we aim to foster open conversations about how our agencies engage resident voices, encouraging participants to reflect on the implications for their work.

Presenters:

• Chanse Sonsalla, Community Opportunity Alliance, Research Associate

The BIPOC Contractors’ Forum

Track 7: Foster a Strong & Purposeful Housing Justice Sector – Workshop

The BIPOC Contractors’ Forum will explore the intersectional dimension of small business advocacy and highlight how people and organizations operating in this advocacy space are developing common cause that pursues inclusivity and equity in construction contracting that’s not a zero-sum game. This workshop will share best practices from the private and public sectors that have resulted in increased participation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Contractors on construction projects. The final piece will be a call to action for non-profit housing developers and financing entities to move the needle on “Equity in Contracting” and this workshop will provide roadmaps to getting that done.

Presenters:

• Que Alicia, Q & A Consulting LLC, CEO
• Nick Colina, Anco Iron & Construction Inc., Administrator of Operations
• Sandra Escalante, Laner Electric Supply, President & CEO
• Bruce Giron, Giron Construction, President/CEO
• Mick Penn, Swinerton, Director of Community Relations

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New Findings From Voter and Messaging Research About Housing Policy

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Workshop

It’s true: the political mood out there is glum. But our prospects don’t have to be grim! Join our panel for a robust discussion and digest of a recent statewide survey and focus groups funded by the Statewide Housing Advocacy Committee on Californians’ attitudes toward housing policy. We’re digging in on what voters understand, believe, and support — as well as what motivates them to get involved (and what doesn’t!) Join us in unpacking how this research can position us to best meet the moment we are in.

Presenters:

• Ruth Bernstein, EMC Research, CEO
• Lin Chin, Ground Works Consulting, Partner
• Devon Gray, End Poverty in California (EPIC), President
• Alina Harway, Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), Communications Director
• Tommy Newman, United Way of Greater L.A., VP, Public Affairs & Activation

Understanding Relocation Assistance, Replacement Housing, and Right to Return Policies

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

This workshop will cover the web of replacement housing, relocation assistance, and right to return requirements in existing law; how implementation of these requirements is working on the ground; and how these requirements could be refined to ease compliance for developers and local governments while better fulfilling the goal of ensuring housing stability for lower-income renters and preserving affordable housing.

Presenters:

• Navneet Grewal, Public Interest Advocates, General Counsel
• Suzy Kim, RSG, Inc, Director
• Melissa Morris, Public Interest Law Project, Staff Attorney
• Maria Patino Gutierrez, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), Director of Policy and Advocacy, Equitable Development and Land Use

Workshop Session 3 (Three)

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM

Balanced and Bold Solutions to Rising Construction and Operation Costs

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

With construction – and, in turn, housing – costs rising, this workshop will challenge current assumptions and outline practical and transformative solutions that directly respond to ongoing escalation issues. Based on lessons learned, topics covered will include collective buying power, evidence-based life cycle analyses, balancing requirements and desires, and knowing when and how to say “yes” versus “no” in our high-cost environment.

Presenters:

• Ryan Cassidy, Mutual Housing, Vice President, Real Estate
• Monique Davis-DeRobertis, Artemis Construction Management, President
• Kevin McIntosh, Blach Construction Company, Vice President
• Weijia Song, Collective Operations, Co-Founder and President

Building the Future: Social Housing in California and Across the Country

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

How does social housing work, and how can it work in my community? What tools do we need, and what do we already have in place to build a housing system that works for everyone? What are communities across California and the rest of the nation putting in place? In this workshop, we’ll start to answer those questions together.

All across the country and right here in California, grassroots organizations, affordable developers, and tenants are building the future through Community Land Trusts and other community ownership models – away from a precarious and profit-based housing system and towards a green, stable, and permanently affordable housing system for all. Come learn how a variety of models, legislative wins, and proposals are crafting the future from Los Angeles to Texas to the U.S. Congress.

Presenters:

• Alfonso Directo Jr., ACT-LA, Advocacy Director
• Jessica Melendez, T.R.U.S.T. South LA, Director of Policy
• Rev. Rae Huang, Housing Now, Senior Organizer
• Allison Riley, Venice Community Housing Corp., Sr. Director of Housing Development
• Liz Ryan Murray, Public Advocates, Director of Strategic Campaigns
• Shanti Singh, Tenants Together, Legislative & Communications Director

Coloring Outside the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Lines: Financing Innovations to Accelerate Permanent Supportive Housing

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

California’s default mechanism for financing affordable housing – including Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) – is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), but in the last decade, competition for these resources has risen sharply. Limited tax credit availability means many strong projects cannot move forward, even though California must add hundreds of thousands of units of PSH to meet needs. This session looks at pilot programs and projects across California that utilized funding sources beyond competitive LIHTC while also incentivizing innovations that deliver quality PSH faster and at a lower cost than comparative projects – between $185-$550,000/home.

Presenters:

• Ray Bramson, Destination:Home, Chief Operating Officer
• Paul Cho, LifeArk SPC, CFO
• Sean Doss, Nonprofit Finance Fund, Director of Loan Originations
• Rebecca Foster, San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund, Chief Executive Officer
• Jennifer Kawar, v, VP Investor Relations
• Sasha Kergan, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), Deputy Secretary of Housing

Creating Homes for All Through Equitable Tax Reform

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

Ensuring all Californians have an affordable and stable home requires at-scale, ongoing revenues to support the housing development and robust services and protections needed to thrive. Based on the Roadmap Home 2030, this panel will dive deeper into equitable state-level revenue options, key policy and tax considerations, and how audiences can engage to build the movement needed to reform California’s tax system to achieve safe and stable homes for all.

Presenters:

• Monica Davalos, California Budget & Policy Center, Senior Policy Analyst
• Kayla Kitson, California Budget & Policy Center, Senior Policy Fellow
• Christina Livingston, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Executive Director
• Christopher Martin, Housing California, Policy Director
• Joseph Tomás McKellar, PICO California, Executive Director

Empowering the Expertise: Rethinking Lived Experience Engagement and Power Sharing

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Workshop

Increased interest and efforts to engage those with lived expertise range in accessibility, authenticity, and application. In this workshop, we will discuss how to harness and equitably wield our power as individuals and communities through exploring power mapping, inclusion, types of engagement, types of roles, accommodations, and compensation.

Presenters:

• Iziaih Choquette, California Homeless Youth Project, Community Empowerment and Engagement Director
• Pixie Popplewell, California Homeless Youth Project, Project Director

Enforcing Tenant Protections: Whose Job is it Anyway?

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

Renter protections are integral to a housing system that provides stability and opportunity for all. However, these rights are a confusing patchwork of federal, state, and local policies that depend on many factors. Some are enforced in court, even though few renters can access attorneys, while others are enforced via government agencies. Implementing policy also depends on education and outreach, functions rarely budgeted for. By focusing on improving enforcement, we make sure these laws translate into tangible benefits in renter’s lives and for the public welfare. We will discuss advancements, innovations, and gaps in this journey toward greater housing justice.

Presenters:

• Francisco Dueñas, Housing Now!, Executive Director
• Alex Fisch, California Department of Justice, Special Assistant Attorney General
• Julia Howard-Gibbon, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, Supervising Attorney
• Jessica Prieto, Liberty Hill Foundation, Senior Program Manager, Housing Justice
• Victoria Zacarias, Tenants Together, Community Leadership Director

Insurance Reform for Affordable Housing: Exploring Solutions and Advocacy

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

California’s affordable housing sector is grappling with an unprecedented insurance crisis, with premiums surging by 400-600%. These sharp increases jeopardize the financial stability of current affordable housing properties, hinder future development, and endanger the organizations behind them. Policymakers, developers, and insurance experts are actively exploring solutions to mitigate these impacts, including legislative fixes, regulatory reforms, and financial incentives. Join this panel of government officials, industry advocates, and insurance experts as they explore the paths forward and discuss actionable solutions to safeguard California’s affordable housing future.

Presenters:

• Alex Eveland, National Multifamily Housing Council, Vice President, Government Affairs
• Ben Jonas, HUB International Insurance Services, Senior Vice President
• Justine Marcus, Enterprise Community Partners, State and Local Policy Director
• Jackie Tsou, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, City and County of San Francisco, Director of Multifamily Asset Management

Lessons From a Year-Long Campaign to Shift Voter Mindsets for Housing Justice

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Workshop

We’re taking a look under the hood at Begins with Home, a year-long narrative campaign reaching over half a million Bay Area voters to build public support for affordable housing solutions that just wrapped up in December 2024. Join us to hear directly from the effort’s staff, strategists, and partners about what worked to change voter behavior, and what didn’t — with surprising lessons for narrative and movement work in the housing field that can be applied across the state. You’ll hear new research, field-tested strategic approaches, and successful communications tactics that you can bring to your work.

Presenters:

• Alex Eveland, National Multifamily Housing Council, Vice President, Government Affairs
• Ben Jonas, HUB International Insurance Services, Senior Vice President
• Justine Marcus, Enterprise Community Partners, State and Local Policy Director
• Jackie Tsou, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, City and County of San Francisco, Director of Multifamily Asset Management

Making Farmworker Housing Possible

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

This session brings together organizations that focus on farm labor housing from Northern California, Southern California, and across the state to evaluate barriers to homes that meet the needs of farmworkers and strategies to overcome those barriers.

Panelists will consider case studies for specific projects as well as broader frameworks that make the production of farm labor housing more difficult. Ultimately, the discussion aims to build solidarity among organizations across the state for shared policy and funding goals to promote housing for farmworkers.

Presenters:

• Luisa Cafe, California Coalition for Rural Housing, Research Programs Manager
• Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, ALAS, From out of the Shadows: ALAS and Mercy Farmworker Senior Housing
• Jeremy Levine, Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, Policy Manager
• Eric Payne, Central Valley Urban Institute, Executive Director

Measuring Success in the Voucher Program

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Vouchers make housing affordable for well over 300,000 families in California and are a key tool for ending homelessness and affirmatively furthering fair housing. Increasingly, it is difficult for families to move with their vouchers, especially to areas of opportunity. How do we measure success in the voucher program so that we can improve families’ outcomes?

Presenters:

• Will Fischer, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Director of Housing Policy​
• Tushar Gurjal, National Organization of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Senior Policy Manager
• Deborah Thrope, National Housing Law Project, Deputy Director

Meet California’s New Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

The California Interagency Council on Homelessness recently adopted its new strategic plan for preventing and ending homelessness. After over a year of stakeholder input, public meetings, strategic planning with State departments and agencies, and more, Cal ICH is proud to share its vision for how the State can make homelessness rare, brief, and a one-time experience. Come hear about the vision of the plan, our guiding principles and commitments, our goals, and provide your thoughts on what roles the state can play in supporting this work.

Presenters:

• Veronica Lewis, SSG/HOPICS, Director​
• Dr. Margot Kushel, UCSF, University of California San Francisco, Professor of Medicine
• Gustavo Velasquez, California Department of Housing and Community Development, Director
• Marina Wiant, Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC), Executive Director
• Cody Zeger, California Interagency Council on Homelessness, Director of Statewide Policy

Strengthening the Movement: Building a New Constellation of Power

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Roundtable Discussion

A powerful housing movement requires a commitment to building alliances with California labor to push forward a united agenda for housing justice. This session will explore how the Statewide Housing Advocacy Committee has been developing a set of strategic insights to strengthen relationships with labor. Labor leaders will share their priorities and offer insights to strategic alliances to continue to build to win on housing. Speakers will share successes and lessons learned from advancing cross-sector campaigns within labor and housing organizing. Participants will learn how to build a new constellation of power through shared alignment, strategy, and campaigns.

Presenters:

• Amie Fishma, Non-Profit Association of Northern CA, Executive Director
• Alma Hernandez, Experta Strategies, LLC, Consultant
• Teri Holoman, VP, CTA
• Tia Orr, SEIU California State Council

The Frontline Mind: A Provocative Performance and Facilitated Discussion

Track 7: Foster a Strong & Purposeful Housing Justice Sector – Workshop

Housing Works is focused on the experience and needs of frontline workers, as well as approaches to create a homeless services workplace that is trauma-informed and uses the paradigm of decolonization as applied to human resource management. The session will include a performance of The Frontline Mind, a spoken word series of monologues written and performed by Housing Works’ frontline workers that addresses their frustrations, fears, burdens, grief, constraints and overwhelm at the demands of their job and personal struggles, including their own financial survival. The workshop will engage participants in conversation regarding frontline worker wellness and retention strategies.

Presenters:

• Maria de Jesus Gomez, Housing Works, Grants Enrichment and Peer Specialist Manager
• Michael De La Torre, Housing Works, Housing Navigator
• Bikbaye Inejnem, Housing Works, Director of Staff Training and Wellness
• Yana Johnson, Housing Works, Case Manager
• Jose Meza, Housing Works, ICMS Case Manager
• Alva Scott, Housing Works, ICMS Case Manager

What’s A Public Bank And How Can It Help Build Affordable Housing?

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

Wouldn’t it be great if cities/counties could invest directly in a bank owned by the community and focused on the public good rather than keeping their money exclusively with Wall Street banks? They can! Local public bank efforts throughout California are working to make that idea a reality in East Bay, LA, Central Coast, etc., with affordable housing as a major focus of their lending priorities. UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute (OBI) is researching how public banks could provide alternative financing options for affordable housing development. Join the discussion with leaders of California’s public bank movement and OBI researchers.

Presenters:

• Halah Ahmad, Underpin, Principal, Lead Researcher
• Elissa Dennis, Community Economics, Executive Director
• Rick Girling, California Public Banking Alliance, Director of Communication, California Public Banking Alliance
• Fernando Marti, University of San Francisco and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Architecture and Housing Policy professor

Workshop Session 4 (Four)

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Before It’s Too Late: Tools and Strategies for Preserving California’s Manufactured Housing Communities

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Come hear from those working in the community to preserve manufactured housing communities and protect low-income homeowners. Hear from legal experts about state and local legal tools to enhance preservation and from those working with manufactured housing communities on strategies residents are using to save their homes.

Presenters:

• Brian Augusta, Public Interest Advocates, President
• Mariah C. Thompson, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. , Senior Litigator
• Brooke Ervin, MHAction, Statewide Organizer
• Sarah Steinheimer, Legal Services of Northern California, Regional Counsel

Empowering the BIPOC Affordable Housing Workforce: Adapting, Innovating, and Connecting Industry Career Development Initiatives

Track 7: Foster a Strong & Purposeful Housing Justice Sector – Workshop

Addressing the statewide housing crisis equitably entails intentional investment in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) professionals across various career stages and roles within the industry, in order to create a housing workforce that better represents the communities they serve. In this session, we will reflect on the impact of existing career development initiatives, explore ways to adapt and innovate to meet changing workforce needs, and discuss opportunities to connect various statewide initiatives.

Presenters:

• Izanie LoveNed, NPH, Racial Equity and Inclusion Program Manager
• Diana Orozco, All Home, Director of Housing and Economic Strategy
• Celina Pacana, Merritt Community Capital Corporation, Program Manager
• Austyn Perry, California Coalition for Rural Housing, Program Director
• Shelby Thomas, San Diego Housing Federation, Senior Director, Programs and Community Engagement

Federal Housing Policy in Crisis

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

New leadership in the nation’s capital is making dramatic changes at HUD and USDA. Not only are thousands of people at these agencies being summarily fired but Congress is poised to make deep cuts in funding that could result in the elimination of programs and functions and the scaling back of others. This panel will draw on the expertise of two DC insiders and a national expert on housing law to share the latest on what’s happening from a California perspective and what Californians can do to protect critical affordable housing and homelessness resources as well as the people who are served by them.

Presenters:

• Tushar Gujal, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Policy Analyst
• Peter Lawrence, Novogradac & Co, Director of Public Policy
• Matt Schwartz, California Housing Partnership, CEO
• Deborah Thrope, National Housing Law Project, Deputy Director

From the Ground Up: Residents United Network Leading the Charge on Housing Solutions

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

Join us for an insightful and impactful session featuring leaders from the Resident United Network (RUN), a collective of individuals with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness. These dedicated leaders have been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the critical gap between California’s legislators and the communities directly impacted by the state’s housing crisis. Throughout this session, participants will gain a unique perspective on the housing challenges facing various regions of California. RUN leaders will share their first-hand experiences, highlighting the specific needs and concerns of their communities, as well as the practical solutions that can address these challenges. Through open dialogue, these leaders will offer a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between policy, advocacy, and the lived realities of those affected by housing insecurity.

This session provides an opportunity to engage with those who have both the experience and the passion to drive meaningful change. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to effectively collaborate with residents and advocates to craft policies that are truly responsive to the needs of California’s diverse communities.

Presenters:

• William Goodwin, Residents United Network, Community Advocate
• Maria Hernandez, Residents United Network, Resident Leader
• Miriam Perez, Residents United Network, Community Leader
• Lauren Rebrovich, Housing California, Policy Manager
• Sheri Williams, Residents United Network, Resident Leader

Getting Creative with Funding: Leveraging Criminal Legal System Funds for Housing and Supportive Services

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

The growing intersection between incarceration and homelessness in California is an urgent equity issue. This session will share opportunities to reallocate funding from the criminal legal system to housing as an equity intervention. We will explore how counties typically use their AB 109 funds – which California has distributed annually since the Public Safety Realignment Act passed in 2011 – towards support for law enforcement agencies. We will then hear from practitioners who have used AB 109 funds for housing in their communities. We will also discuss lessons learned from the rollout of the criminal justice initiative Measure J in LA County, which aims to invest millions of dollars in community-based programs and alternatives to incarceration.

Presenters:

• Michele Byrnes, Homebase, Directing Analyst
• Nicole Green, Community Advisory Board for AB 109 Public Realignment, Nicole Green
• Jose Osuna, Brilliant Corners, Director of External Affairs
• Shebani Rao, Homebase, Senior Policy Analyst II

Homes for All: Adapting Vienna’s Social Housing Insights for California

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

This session will explore how to leverage global best practices, build broad-based coalitions, and engage communities in a collective effort to address California’s housing crisis. The panel aims to inspire attendees to take actionable steps toward creating a powerful and enduring movement for change in California.

Participants will get an overview of Vienna’s acclaimed social housing model, which will examine Vienna’s long-term commitment to affordability, integrated urban planning, and public-private partnerships, focusing on innovative solutions that ensure affordable, high-quality housing and foster vibrant communities. Participants will gain practical ideas and inspiration for transforming California’s housing landscape.

Presenters:

• Sarah Karlinky, Terner Center for Housing Innovation, Research Director
• Anu Natarajan, Global Policy Leadership Academy, managing Director
• Susannah Parsons, All Home California, Director, Policy and Legislation
• Joseph Tomás McKellar, PICO California, Executive Director

Housing and Healthcare Partnerships for Systems Change: CalAIM Case Study and Lessons Learned

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

California’s CalAIM initiative (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) is expanding the definition of healthcare to include housing, nutrition, income, and other “upstream” Health-Related Social Needs. Specifically, CalAIM allocates billions of dollars as a significant source of funding for nonprofit housing providers to implement these services and improve care and outcomes for Medi-Cal members. However, Medi-Cal is a large and complex safety-net healthcare program that many housing providers have never participated in. Integrating housing and healthcare funding and building cross-sector partnerships through CalAIM, requires nonprofit housing and service providers to navigate unfamiliar systems.

In this session, a panel of experts will share lessons learned from successful partnerships between municipal governments, housing providers, and health plans, resulting in investments in new infrastructure and the leveraging of CalAIM’s Housing-Related and Community Supports funding. The panel will explore various ways to engage with CalAIM, and audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain insights on how to pursue innovative and replicable models.

Presenters:

• Carter Kimble, HMA, Principal
• Kristopher Kuntz, Anthem Blue Cross, Program Director, Housing and Homeless Strategy
• Michelle Schneidermann, California Health Care Foundation, Director, Advancing People-Centered Care
• Jessica Shimmin, San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Data Privacy and CalAIM Manager
• Harjit Singh Gill, Bay Area Community Services, BACS, Regional VP of Operations, Sacramento & Solano County

Housing is Treatment: Proposition 1 and the Opportunities it Affords for Partnerships Between Affordable Housing Developers and Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Provider

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

In March 2024, California voters passed Proposition 1 to develop an array of behavioral health treatment, residential care, and supportive housing to help provide appropriate care facilities for individuals experiencing mental health and substance use disabilities. Counties need to demonstrate how they are maximizing funding by leveraging partnerships. Non-profit affordable housing developers are uniquely qualified to assist in this effort. This workshop will explore opportunities for partnerships in the context of implementing Proposition 1 while also elevating the mutual goals of treatment providers and permanent supportive housing operators and acknowledging where the respective systems remain distant.

Presenters:

• Natalie Bonnewit, Bonnewit Development Services on behalf of the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California, NPH Consultant
• Chad Costello, California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies, Executive Director
• Karen Kern, Deputy Director County of Santa Cruz – Behavioral Health, Deputy Director
• Jon White, Abode Housing Development, Chief Real Estate Officer

How to Gain Ground: Models for Public Sector Support of Affordable Housing Preservation

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Leaders across the state are increasingly recognizing the critical role that unsubsidized affordable housing plays in housing low-income residents. In response, more public agencies are developing and refining affordable housing preservation programs to prevent displacement, stabilize communities, and ensure that unsubsidized housing stock is not permanently lost. This session will explore various models public sector agencies are piloting and revamping to preserve this precious stock at both the local and state levels. It will especially focus on how these programs are being designed to serve residents at higher risk of displacement, a particular concern for communities of color.

Presenters:

• Heather Bromfield, Enterprise Community Partners, Senior Program Director, Preservation
• Alea Gage, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, Preservation Program Manager
• Connor Lock, City of Long Beach, Deputy Mayor of Housing
• Geoffrey Moen, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Director of Development
• Elizabeth Wampler, LISC Bay Area, Deputy Director

Place-Based Community Development Strategies and State Policymaking: Current Challenges, Future Opportunities

Track 3: Protect Low-Income Renters – Workshop

This session will explore the challenges recent state policymaking has posed for efforts to advance place-based community development strategies in low-income communities of color. Hear from local advocates, community-based developers, and other experts about the impacts of state legislation and state initiatives on efforts to drive investment in these communities in a way that is responsive to community-identified needs and priorities, how people are adapting, and what else could be done to better support and advance place-based strategies.

Presenters:

• Alison Cingolani, SV@Home, Director of Policy
• Cesar Covarrubias, he Kennedy Commission, Executive Director
• Anya Lawler, Public Interest Advocates, Managing Director
• Betsy McGovern-Garcia, Self-Help Enterprises, Vice President
• Peter Papadopoulo, Mission Economic Development Agency, Senior Policy Analyst

Reimagining Housing: Elevating Community Ownership, Power Building, and Justice-Oriented Frameworks

Track 6: Build Power, Increase Solidarity & Win Campaigns at Scale – Workshop

Across the state community leaders are building power and cultivating a future where all communities can thrive. By fostering alliances across issues, races, and regions, these leaders are centering the voices of local residents to rectify decades of housing disinvestment and discrimination.

In this session, pioneering organizations will showcase transformative approaches that challenge existing systems and advance bold visions. Learn how their community-ownership models, policy campaigns, and popular education initiatives are dismantling harmful narratives and policies, replacing them with visionary, inclusive, justice-oriented frameworks.

Discover how community ownership models coupled with power-building strategies can drive structural reforms and create thriving communities across California.

Presenters:

• Sergio Carranza, Pueblo Unido CDC, Executive Director
• Scarlett DeLeon, Alliance for Community Transit (ACT-LA), Executive Director
• Tamika L’Ecluse, Sacramento Community Land Trust, Executive Director
• Jazmin Segura, Common Counsel Foundation, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Housing Justice
• Leticia Valenci, Faith in the Valley, Formation Director

Securing State Funding to Solve Homelessness: Let’s Bring Californians Home

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

California has yet to invest ongoing funding at scale to address the affordable housing and homelessness crisis. This session will open dialogue about pivoting state leadership toward solutions to end homelessness, focusing on the need for ongoing funding at scale for housing and services. Panelists will engage the audience in a discussion on shaping a statewide campaign for ongoing funding for housing and services through the Bring California Home Coalition, a coalition of people with lived experience, service and housing providers, local governments, Continuums of Care, and advocates working to secure ongoing state funding. Dialogue will include how we build power through a network of impacted communities and multi-sector partners to plot a pathway toward bringing Californians home. The session will be highly interactive and will encourage discussion on shifting the statewide narrative from homelessness as a “personal failure” toward a hopeful, solutions-oriented statewide plan.

Presenters:

• Valerie Lynne Kane, John Burton Advocates for Youth, Senior Project Manager, Housing & Economic Mobility
• Theodore Patton, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Member, California State Policy Advisory Committee
• Sharon Rapport, Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Director, California State Policy
• Greg Rodriguez, Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions, Deputy Director Government Affairs and Community Engagement
• Divya Shiv, Housing California, Senior Policy Advocate – Homelessness Policy

The Future of Tribal Housing

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

Existing State housing and community development programs, despite recent Tribal targets, are missing the mark in adequately addressing tribal housing needs. From the application workbooks to consultation process to the extensive negotiations of standard agreements and limited waivers of sovereign immunity, these housing programs aren’t designed with respect to tribal governance, sovereignty, and self-determination. As we discuss the vision of a true tribal housing program, our panelists will share their experience in addressing their tribe’s housing needs while also reveling on the successes in tribal housing that has empowered our communities for a better future.

Presenters:

• Iliana Chevez, California Coalition for Rural Housing, Director of Tribal Programs
• Liz Hernandez, Fort Bidwell Indian Community, Secretary
• Moriah McGill, Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority, Deputy Director
• AnnaLee Trujillo, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Executive Director

Winning Together: Strengthening Messages to Build Momentum for Housing Solutions

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Roundtable Discussion

Our movement is strongest when we speak with a unified voice while honoring diverse perspectives. This roundtable will bring advocates, service providers, communications strategists, and policy leaders together, challenge us to look beyond our individual work, and explore how our messaging aligns — or doesn’t — with broader housing justice efforts. Participants will assess the narrative strengths of our movement, areas where opposition messaging is gaining traction, and how we can reinforce a shared story. This is a session about power, coordination, and long-term movement building—ensuring our collective messages drive systemic change. Housing California will use your insights and ideas to inform future efforts in the statewide fight for homes, health, and prosperity for all.

Presenters:

• Alex Brown, Housing California, Narrative & Strategic Communications Director
• Alina Harway, Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), Communications Director

Workshop Session 5 (Five)

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM

College Focused Rapid Rehousing: Investing in College Student Success

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

In 2019, California became the first state to allocate funding to provide Rapid Rehousing for college students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Results from the evaluation of a 3-year pilot at eight CSU campuses and two community colleges show that 639 homeless students were housed through partnering community-based organizations, and 3,949 precariously housed students were provided a one-time subsidy or other temporary support to keep them from becoming homeless. Results show better mental health as well as improvements in academic retention among program participants. How can we continue to build these partnerships toward the goal of ending homelessness in California?

Presenters:

• Arturo Baiocchi, School of Social Work-Sacramento State, Associate Professor
• Rashida Crutchfield, The Center for Equitable Higher Education, CSU Long Beach, Professor, Executive Director
• Jennifer Wilking, California State University, Chico, Professor
• Jessica Wolin, Center for Equitable Higher Education and San Francisco State University, Faculty

Community Harm Reduction Team: A Comprehensive Approach to Supporting Unhoused Individuals with Substance Use Disorders

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

This session will explore the Community Harm Reduction Team (C-HRT), an innovative approach addressing chronic substance use among persons experiencing homelessness. C-HRT integrates street outreach, shelter, and Safe Haven transitional housing model, employing harm reduction principles to meet clients where they are. Participants will learn about the program’s structure, collaborative strategies, and outcomes, including care coordination, case management, and housing transitions. The session will highlight how C-HRT bridges the gap in long-term housing options for a hard-to-reach population. The session will discuss the barriers this model faces and offer insight into mitigating factors.

Presenters:

• Dr. Brenda Sarabia, County of San Diego BHS, Deputy Director
• Jonathan Herrera, San Diego Housing Commission, Director, Homelessness Housing Innovations Division
• Stacie Perez, Episcopal Community Services, VP of Programs
• Simonne Ruff, CSH, Director

Data-Driven Strategies to Reduce and Prevent Homelessness

Track 2: Solve Homelessness – Workshop

Reducing the harm and prevalence of homelessness requires that we leverage the best available data to better understand the problem, improve program outcomes, and inform solutions. Too often, political expediency, budget limitations, and status quo thinking guide our efforts. This session brings together practitioners from research, local government, service provision, and advocacy to share recent efforts and opportunities to use research to pursue more effective and equitable solutions to homelessness. Specific topics of discussion will include an overview of relevant data in California, using system modeling to inform strategic planning, and using outcomes data to demonstrate and improve program efficacy.

Presenters:

• David Amaral, All Home, Director of Research and Evaluation
• Ryan Finnigan, Terner Center for Housing Innovation, Associate Research Director
• Sasha Hauswald, City of Oakland, Chief Housing Policy Officer
• Tiana Moore, Brilliant Corners, Deputy Chief Program Officer

Extreme Heat in Homes is Exacerbated in California: What is California Doing to Protect its Most Vulnerable?

Track 5: Advance Intersectional Solutions For Housing Justice – Workshop

As Climate Change exacerbates the intensity and longevity of heat waves, California must take swift action to ensure the health and safety of all Californians, particularly at-risk populations. During this workshop, we will discuss the ongoing advocacy to create a State mandate for a maximum safe indoor air temperature and policy recommendations to ensure tenant protections, prioritizing existing residential dwellings and mobile home parks/manufactured housing. It will be an opportunity to learn more about this critical issue and how participants can engage both at the local and state level.

Presenters:

• Brandon Kitagawa, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention, Senior Policy Associate
• Raquel Mason, California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), Senior Legislative Manager
• Katie McKeon, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Attorney
• Jovana Morales, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, Housing Policy Coordinator

Offices to Homes: Adaptive Reuse and Permanent Supportive Housing

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Contra Costa County and Overaa Construction will share the process of rehabilitating an old office building into El Portal Place, the County’s newest Permanent Supportive Housing building. Hope Solutions will join in the conversation to discuss on-site service provision and property management. Participants will hear how this team created 54 units in two and a half years. The workshop will cover 1) the benefits of adaptive reuse, 2) how the County and Overaa developed a partnership, 3) blending funding to acquire and sustain permanent supportive housing, and 4) developing community in a new housing development.

Presenters:

• Bertha Lopez, Hope Solutions, Support Services Manager
• Christy Saxton, Health, Housing and Homeless Services, Contra Costa Health, Director
• Jamie Schecter, Contra Costa Health – Health, Housing, and Homeless Services, Homeless Services Chief

Portfolio Strategies for California’s Affordable Housing Needs

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Maintaining a successful affordable housing portfolio in today’s fiscal climate demands creativity, expertise, and a bit of luck. This session will showcase how seasoned asset managers balance revenue generation, cost control, and sustainable practices to ensure long-term success. You’ll explore innovative approaches to “greening” portfolios, reducing vacancies, and leveraging creative revenue streams, all while aligning strategic policies with day-to-day management. By mastering these strategies, organizations can build resilient portfolios that meet the current needs of their residents and future challenges.

Presenters:

• Kyle Attenhofer, MidPen Housing, Senior Vice President of Asset Management
• Bryan Dove, Eden Housing, Senior Director Asset Management
• Kim Duran, EAH Housing, Senior Asset Manager
• Julia Pierson, Consortium for Housing and Asset Management, Executive Director
• Natalie Reider, Jamboree Housing Corporation, Senior Vice President, Community Operations

Preserving an Aging SRO Portfolio in Modern Times

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) buildings are common and sizable examples of early affordable or permanent supportive housing across many urban communities, but too many are facing significant physical and financial risk if not sustained, preserved, and modernized. This panel will include representatives from a unique statewide cohort of mission-driven nonprofit SRO owners from Northern and Southern California that have united to share data across their portfolios to better understand common characteristics and risk factors and draw conclusions about state and local policy solutions that can benefit other SRO owners and the affordable housing field at large.

Presenters:

• Claire Knowlton, Claire Knowlton Consulting, Founder and Principal Consultant
• Patrick Reyes, A Community of Friends, Director of Asset Management
• Marc Tousignant, Enterprise Community Partners, Director, Supportive Housing, Southern California
• Sara Tsay, Abode Communities, Senior Vice President, Business Development
• Emily Van Loon, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, Associate Director of Housing Development

Preserving California’s Affordable Housing

Track 1: Produce & Preserve Affordable Homes – Workshop

Homes nearing the end of affordability are at risk of shifting to market-rate, significantly impacting rent, displacing tenants, and loss of homes affordable to lower-income seniors and families. The affordable housing preservation laws are key to ensuring affordable housing remains accessible in California. This workshop will contextualize the scale of affordable housing at risk of conversion, outline how Preservation Notice Law addresses these pressing issues, and describe the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)’s role in holding owners accountable. The panel will frame the policy discussion through the lens of lived experience of housing insecurity and highlight collaborations with local jurisdictions on effectively implementing the law.

Presenters:

• Wendy Dewitt, San Diego Housing Commission, Vice President of Preservation
• Courtney Ide, Department of Housing and Community Development, Housing Policy Specialist
• Mehrsa Imani, CA Department of Housing and Community Development, Policy Manager
• Danielle Mazella, California Housing Partnership, Associate Research Director
• Joyce Roberts, Residents United Network & Housing CA Board, Leader

The First Step is to Understand: Addressing Misconceptions and Catalyzing Solutions to Homelessnes

Track 4: Shape Narratives & Move Mindsets – Workshop

The purpose of this session is to stimulate an exploration of the realities of homelessness/houselessness through sharing the expertise of leaders from different areas of the State who have lived through homelessness/houselessness and are catalyzing solutions and change. Join us for an interactive discussion about implementing solutions to homelessness/houselessness through collective action and shifting power structures. Through sharing stories, highlighting data, and humanizing the issue of homelessness/houselessness, participants will leave this session with concrete action steps to work with people with lived expertise, and across sectors, toward humane and lasting solutions.

Presenters:

• Jose Carrizale, Unsheltered Advocate, Unsheltered Advocate/Formerly Unsheltered
• Devra Edelma, Homebase, Directing Analyst
• Timothy Heavin, Monterey & San Benito Counties CoC Lived Experience Advisory Directive (LEAD), Tim Heavin
• Elizabeth Muniz-Palomeran, Housing First Solano Lived Experience Committee, Former Co-Chair
• Earl Simms, Restorative Community Solutions/Co-chair of REWG Cal ICH, Executive Director/ Consultant