Sunday, September 28: 10:30am – 11:45am
Homelessness and criminal legal system involvement are deeply interconnected, forming a cycle that disproportionately affects marginalized communities—particularly Black and brown individuals. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) operate at a pivotal intersection of this cycle, with the power to either perpetuate or disrupt it. This session will explore the role PHAs can play in breaking this cycle by implementing trauma-informed, low-barrier policies. Participants will hear from housing authorities that have successfully adopted second-chance policies, reduced barriers to housing access, and reimagined housing as a foundation for equity and justice, and from people with lived experience who have directly benefited from these policies.
Presenters:
Nicole McCray Dickerson
Directing Attorney, Homebase
Stephanie Gaul
Housing Manager, City of Napa Housing Authority
Thomas McKnight
Project Coordinator, Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley
Esther Wilch
Directing Attorney, Homebase