So You Wanna be a Homeless Advocate?

This session is about being a homeless advocate, either as a self-advocate (formerly homeless individual) or anyone else who wants to see homelessness eradicated from their community.

First presenter is Nilaya Motalvo from Homes for Families in Boston.

1:13pm - Homes for Families believes in "consumers as community champions." In other words, bringing formerly homeless people into the organization as board members, advocates, and staff people.

1:16 - Definition debate about the term "consumer." This implies that homeless people have a choice in consuming services when, in fact, they don't.

1:19 - Identify the strengths of your advocates - whether it be writing, public speaking, building relationships, sharing their story - and help develop those skills to achieve meaningful change.

1:24 - If we're going to talk about involving formerly homeless people as self-advocates, you must be mindful of the barriers these families face. Consider the little things that could be barriers, like scheduling meetings around their workday, providing childcare, transportation, compensation, food, etc.

1:26 - The best way to recruit formerly/currently homeless self-advocates is to use other self-advocates instead of staff to network and make connections.

1:28 - Homes for Families goes to great lengths to avoid "tokenism"; that feeling that an organization brings on one formerly homeless self-advocate because it's a best practice. Involving self-advocates should be genuine and meaningful.

1:31 - Next presenter: Luella Sanders from the first ever state-wide Kansas Point in Time Count.

1:36 - Hearing some really technical info about the making of a state-wide point in time count. Learning that a good, thorough point in time count usually happens with a local champion who makes a strong case for cooperation and collaboration to conduct the count.

1:41 - Initial leadership is good. Cooperation and collaboration is good. But ultimately, resources are needed. This is where a series of local champions come into play. Ms. Sanders is saying that a lot of "person power" is needed to make this all-important collection of data a reality.

1:44 - To mobilize people, framing the issue is key. Demonstrate that we cannot afford not to end homelessness. Provide talking points. Communication is key.

1:56 - Covering more dirty details about the Kansas point in time count. Hearing about the pains states take to ensure that every person is counted is exhausting... almost exactly like "Get Out The Vote" efforts. In rural areas, volunteers counted unsheltered homeless people in abandoned barns and bales of hay, even (one attendee joked, "You found a person in a haystack!").