Ending homelessness means ending poverty. While short-term housing interventions—like shallow subsidies for rent or eviction prevention—are a start, they are not enough to stabilize San Francisco Bay Area residents in permanent housing.
We should always treat individuals and families as participants in their housing stability, as decision-making partners who work alongside our case managers and housing specialists who understand that all people should be treated as the experts of their own lives, not as clients to be served. That same philosophy should be extended as part of an individual's or family’s participation to dismantle economic inequities, giving them the agency to make their own decisions and assess their own needs.
However, despite the passion and commitment we see in our community, many folks may still be asking: “what is state of homelessness, housing justice, and economic inequity in the Bay Area and California at large?” As our community continues to move mountains to fight for our present and future, it is critical that we create space and listen to the lived experiences of people and families experiencing homelessness, to advance our advocacy for effective policy changes, and exchange ideas and experiences. That is what #HomelessnessAwarenessMonth aims to do.
Meet the speakers
RESOURCES FOR ATTENDEES
Visit our #HomelessnessAwarenessMonth engagement hub.
Download the Hamilton Families Voter Education Guide.