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
Elizabeth Colorado
Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley (LEABsv)
Esther Wilch
Directing Attorney, Homebase