Homeless Councils

What made you apply for SACH?
As an individual who experienced homelessness as a youth, I have a unique experience using social safety nets and community support as a springboard to become a productive member of society.  It has always been a goal of mine to serve my community by helping reduce the number of people who don’t have a place to call home.  As an owner of a construction company, a food production company, and an agricultural refiner, my perspective is shaped by the desire to unite the businesses world, social services, local communities, and government to tackle the complexities of developing long lasting solutions to the multiple complex reasons behind homelessness.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My goal for this term is to serve SACH and the homeless community by helping craft recommendations and steadfast partnerships that lead to actual real world results that drive down the homelessness rate in Washington State.  The complex and various reasons that drive people to homelessness can be positively impacted if the will of the people supporting the initiative focus on humanizing the issue and work towards compassionate solutions.

What made you apply for SACH?
I serve on the SACH representing the Department of Commerce as part of my role managing Housing Assistance at the Department. Addressing affordable housing and homelessness are central to the Department’s mission of strengthening communities, and the SACH is the primary advisory group guiding the agency’s homeless housing policy.
What are your hopes and goals? 
Washington’s homeless crisis response system has never had a better understanding of how to effectively end unsheltered homelessness using tools honed over years of experience and research. My goal for the SACH is that it play a central role in crafting and promoting changes to policy, system interactions, and resources necessary to create a state where no person is left living outside.

What made you apply for SACH?
I have made a career of advocating for those who need a voice.  I am honored to serve on SACH and represent private business as we advocate for some of our most vulnerable neighbors and make policy recommendations on ways to enhance the state’s ability to respond to the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness.  As a former criminal prosecutor, I witnessed the devastating effects that homelessness can have and the need for effective policies that address the complex factors that contribute to homelessness.  I believe that our communities do better when we all do better, and developing meaningful and effective solutions to combat homelessness and prevent people from experiencing homelessness is a priority that has led to my involvement on SACH.
What are your hopes and goals? 
I hope to work collaboratively with the Council to develop policy recommendations that will have a lasting positive effect on addressing the homelessness crisis.  Solving the complexities of homelessness is one of our great challenges, and my goal is to strengthen our state’s response to the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness and to support those who are at risk of becoming homeless.  With a housing first approach, we can make a difference.

What made you apply for SACH?
My interest in SACH initially stemmed from ensuring a rural community voice at the Council table. Rural communities face a different set of challenges than urban areas in their efforts to end homelessness for each person as quickly as possible. The viewpoint from rural communities needs to be part of the policy discussions around approaches to ending homelessness.  Cowlitz County made considerable progress in reducing overall homelessness during my tenure as the lead for the county’s efforts to end homelessness. As “early adopters” of innovative practices, our county experience adds perspective to Council discussions. My professional experience as a regional and community planner helps to weave homeless work into the broader fabric of the community.
What are your hopes and goals? 
I hope to add a rural dimension to state policy discussions on ending homelessness and to share broader, statewide perspectives with my local community. My hope is that this work will improve rural communities, making them more competitive for economic opportunities, while increasing social justice and equity for everyone who needs a place to call home.

What made you apply for SACH?
As an individual that was formerly homeless (2002 - 2013) I understand the unique challenges that are faced, as you are trying to get your life in order while dealing with addiction and mental health issue without stable housing. I am currently a 2019 candidate for a BS in Human Services and I volunteer with a local BHO where I encounter the homeless community on a daily basis. I am still very in touch with my community and their needs.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My dreams for SACH would be to discover realistic solutions to the homeless crisis we are experiencing. I also hope that by life experience that I will be an example to help understand why affordable housing first is the key.

What made you apply for SACH?
I applied for SACH to engage in the state’s great work to prevent and end homelessness.   The current crisis we are facing needs all sectors to come together to coordinate on solutions.   I bring the perspective of a private funder working to end homelessness and I hope to highlight solutions that leverage the public and private sector to create long term, effective responses to the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
What are your hopes and goals? 
I hope to expand coordination between private philanthropy and our state government efforts, so we can ensure that everyone in our state has a safe place to call home.

What made you apply for SACH?
I am honored to serve on the SACH and represent the Federal government perspective. As the former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator and Deputy Regional Administrator, I witnessed firsthand the need for effective policies and efficient use of limited resources to end homelessness throughout the four state region. The reasons for homelessness remain complex and multifaceted, and the challenges to provide housing to everyone that needs it continues to grow.  Yet, there are good examples where the problem has been curbed through application of best practices and when all levels of government, non-profits, and the private sector work together within communities. SACH represents a unique opportunity to provide critical cross sector collaboration on policy recommendations to address the needs of the homeless in the state.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My hope for the council during my tenure is that we provide sound policy recommendations that support strengthening the state’s homelessness response and prevention systems and through advocacy we help raise awareness and understanding of the complex issues associated with homelessness.

What made you apply for SACH?
Involvement in the development of thoughtful and comprehensive solutions to serve the homeless population is important.  Initially, I served as a Housing Resource Specialist in McKinney-Vento homeless programs, later on the Board of a Community Housing Development Organization. I worked in Public Housing in resident services and served as staff to the Alaska Council on the Homeless.  In 2013, I relocated to Washington to develop multiple units of housing to serve the homeless.  I believe that my experience in direct resident services, as a funder of services, as well as a developer of units designated and designed to house the homeless, brings a broad-based perspective to the council.  I represent the Association of Washington Housing Authorities.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My hope as a council member is that we create a menu of thoughtful, comprehensive solutions to serve the homeless population.  I want to see us recommend innovative, sustainable housing opportunities that do not compromise the dignity of this population.

What made you apply for SACH?
The issues related to housing instability and the impacts of homelessness have been concerns of mine for many years.  My passion comes from over three decades spent working with homeless survivors of domestic violence.  The path to their homelessness not only comes from the need to leave an abusive living environment but also from the issues of financial instability, trauma impacts, legal barriers, immigration status, and discrimination—many of the same issues faced by all homeless populations.  When both affordable and subsidized housing options are limited, cycles of violence and homelessness are perpetuated.   I bring extensive knowledge about domestic and sexual violence and the trauma impacts on survivors and their children.
What are your hopes and goals? 
I hope to bring this knowledge to SACH policy discussions so that the need for affordable and subsidized housing options and trauma-informed approaches to supporting access to and retention of housing may be highlighted and integrated into our state’s response to homelessness.

What made you apply for SACH?
The issues related to housing instability and the impacts of homelessness have been concerns of mine for many years.  My passion comes from over three decades spent working with homeless survivors of domestic violence.  The path to their homelessness not only comes from the need to leave an abusive living environment but also from the issues of financial instability, trauma impacts, legal barriers, immigration status, and discrimination—many of the same issues faced by all homeless populations.  When both affordable and subsidized housing options are limited, cycles of violence and homelessness are perpetuated.   I bring extensive knowledge about domestic and sexual violence and the trauma impacts on survivors and their children.
What are your hopes and goals? 
I hope to bring this knowledge to SACH policy discussions so that the need for affordable and subsidized housing options and trauma-informed approaches to supporting access to and retention of housing may be highlighted and integrated into our state’s response to homelessness.

What made you apply for SACH?
I applied to the SACH because I want to serve and improve my community. I started by volunteering for a few food banks and soup kitchens, I then became the President of the Concern for Neighbors Food Bank in my hometown of Mountlake Terrace, and now I aim to work at a much larger scale. While I was fortunate enough to never have to live on the streets, as a youth my family benefited from services like those advocated by SACH. I know that there are thousands of families in Washington, many with children that have experiences similar to mine, that need a stable home, family, and food. I aspire to do something about it.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My primary goals are to educate and advocate for our less fortunate neighbors. I feel that our community and particularly our legislature ought to know that homelessness is not some abstract event that effects the fringes of society. Perhaps the biggest correlation to the rising homeless rates is not drugs, alcohol, or even mental health as many assume, it is the steep rise in the cost of living. As inflation and the cost of living grows faster than income, more and more people will be pushed into homelessness unless we make a proactive effort to improve the situation by methods such as housing subsidies, designated affordable housing, welfare, and other essential programs. If we don’t act, it may genuinely only be a matter of time until this growing trend affects someone we value.

What made you apply for SACH?
My interest in applying for SACH stems from my role with the City of Spokane’s efforts to end homelessness in our community. As a lifelong resident of Spokane, I am honored to bring the perspective of my city and the Eastern Washington region to the council. Our region faces unique challenges and opportunities in working with our friends and neighbors who are experiencing homelessness to achieve safe and stable housing and I think these factors are valuable for SACH to consider as it develops its policy recommendations. As a representative of local government, my perspective is that of both funder and systems convener. I see strategic public investment as a driver of more effective collaboration between both services providers as well as systems of care.
What are your hopes and goals? 
My hope is that SACH will continue to leverage ever more diverse perspectives to provide policy recommendations that both strengthen Washington State’s coordinated response to ending homelessness and provide communities with the tools and flexibility to respond nimbly to their specific, local contexts. Additionally, I hope that SACH will continue to partner meaningfully with other state-level groups to ensure alignment of our efforts with other systems that impact homelessness.