WEBVTT - Housing stability - when a home is more than shelter. 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:08.200 Welcome to Force Multiplier, a new podcast about leveling up 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:10.840 the impact we can have in the world through our relationships. 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:14.400 I'm Barretting day Thurston and in collaboration with I Heart 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.480 Radio and Salesforce dot Org, i sit with leaders from 0:00:17.520 --> 0:00:21.280 across the public, private and nonprofit world who are forging 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:25.799 partnerships to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us today. 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:31.320 Welcome back to Force Multiplier. You are the force that multiplies. 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:34.600 I think I'm gonna keep saying that until somebody tells 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:40.120 me to stop. Today we're talking about housing stability. I'm 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:45.200 consciously not using the term homelessness or homeless people because 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:48.279 the lack of a place to reside doesn't always mean 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:51.680 someone lacks a community. In many cases, they feel quite 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:55.880 at home despite not having a house. Also, their housing 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:59.320 status isn't the sole way many would describe themselves in 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:03.120 terms of cap during their identity. Terms like the homeless 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:08.000 generalize and simplify at the same time. Instead, you're more 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:12.400 likely to hear in this episode about people experiencing homelessness 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:15.360 or unhoused people. As a way to lend a bit 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:19.360 more respect to human beings who lack access to stable housing, 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.440 The unhoused may also include refugees who have been forced 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:27.959 to flee their own home. That instability is a growing issue, 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.440 so many in the United States are living on the edge, 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:36.200 just one medical bill, one utility bill, one argument away 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.720 from becoming unhoused, and that precarious nous is about more 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:47.000 than just residential units. As with our previous episodes on health, equity, nutrition, insecurity, 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:50.960 and the skills gap, this topic is interconnected with a 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:57.640 host of issues including mental health, jobs, housing policy, domestic abuse, racism, 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:03.880 and more. In this episode, we're doing something different. We've 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:08.399 got three guests with three unique perspectives. Our first two 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.040 guests joined me in conversation at the same time from 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:14.600 the Bay Area, which I will always honor by calling 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:19.760 the Ya Area. It's a region filled with contradictions, including 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:25.440 extraordinary wealth and extraordinarily unaffordable housing options. So if we 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:28.360 can make progress in the Bay we can make progress 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:32.880 anywhere in the USA. Theres Ingram is program assistant at 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.040 California State University, East Bay and with the focus on 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:38.760 the well being of a student both inside and outside 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.760 the classroom, her work provides at risk students with warm meals, 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:47.919 temporary housing assistants, emergency funds and more, supporting them on 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:52.040 their path to graduation. Matt Rosen is the chief program 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:56.040 officer for Habitat for Humanity San Francisco. You may think 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:59.440 they just build houses, but as Matt shares, they also 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:04.920 built part otnerships, equity, stability, and legacy. Derese and Matt 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:08.400 have recently been part of a cross sector collaboration designed 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.480 to address the challenge of housing stability in the Bay Area. 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.840 Later in the episode, we hear from Mike King, President 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:19.760 and CEO of Volunteers of America, an organization you may 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.600 know little about, the one that deserves to be part 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:27.639 of every conversation. With a presence in over four communities nationwide, 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:31.800 supporting close to one point five million Americans, Volunteers of 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:36.920 America provides a lifeline to so many families facing eviction, vetch, 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:41.280 struggling with mental illness, and people re entering society after 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:53.600 being incarcerated. Let's get to it. What's up, y'all? Thank 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.160 you for being here. I would love each of you, 0:03:56.240 --> 0:04:01.760 starting with Therese, to introduce yourself. I am ingroom with kelstices, 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:08.000 base basic needs and coach leadership and consulting to Hey, 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:11.080 everybody My name is Matt Rosen. I'm Chief Program Officer 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:15.560 at Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. I'm really happy 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:18.560 that you're both here. So Matt, let's start with you. 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:23.239 We've all heard of Habitat for Humanity. You build houses 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:26.039 for people who need houses. It's like the most basic 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:29.560 and essential function. And some of our listeners may have 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:33.200 even volunteered in putting some of these houses together in 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:37.120 their local communities. But there's more to the organization. Can 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:40.800 you share more about the organ who it serves, and 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.560 more importantly, how do you serve the people in need? 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:48.480 So Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco focuses on creating 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:54.000 affordable homeownership opportunities. So what's unique about our work that's 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:58.039 different from many other affordable housing developers is that we're 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:02.640 creating opportunities for people to own their own homes, which 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:06.040 was something we're really proud of. We're an affiliate, which 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:09.880 means that we focus on a region which is probably 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:14.080 the highest cost region in the whole country, San Mateo County, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:18.440 San Francisco, and Marin County. There's an incredible need for 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:23.360 affordable homeownership across the spectrum for extremely low income folks, 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:25.800 for folks that we're trying to serve, and we're part 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:29.640 of this continuum of housing, but also being able to 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:34.880 create housing opportunities that allow folks to build equity where 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:38.680 people can not only have a safe and secure place 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:41.440 to live, where they're guaranteed a place to live, but 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:46.200 also where every dollar that they put into their mortgage 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:49.320 is a dollar that they're going to get back, which 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:53.279 they can help create a sense of legacy and stability. 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:56.640 We all know there's an enormous racial wealth gap in 0:05:56.680 --> 0:06:00.919 this country, and that wealth is so critical to allowing 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.760 people to stay in or step into the middle class. 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:06.480 We're really excited to be able to continue to contribute 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:11.240 to affordable home ownership in one of the highest cost regions, 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:16.440 particularly in neighborhoods which have been traditionally excluded, particularly communities 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:18.159 of color, which is an area that we do a 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:21.120 lot of work in. Matt hit me with the breakdown 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:25.480 quickly of how habits At in San Francisco creates this 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:29.919 pathway to affordable home ownership and equity. It really takes 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.680 a village to build our housing. Because we've got our staff, 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:38.000 our construction team are volunteers and the homeowners themselves were 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.159 all coming together to build our homes and we're really 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:45.320 proud of that. Thank you. Deres. You're up here in 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:48.719 the US, we have an increasing number of people who 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:52.520 are finding it difficult to have a house, but also 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:55.719 find that it's important to be a part of a community. 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.640 That houselessness alone isn't necessarily the only challenge. There's this 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.640 based human desire to be part of community as well, 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:06.680 and paired with housing that allows us to flourish. At 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.280 cal State East Bay, you have this holistic view of 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.600 the student inside, the class and out, and I want 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:16.080 you to connect the dots between the university's Basic Needs 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.760 initiative and your Pioneers for Hope program and how it 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:24.520 ties into this conversation about unhoused folks. Yes. Absolutely. Unfortunately, 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:29.080 students as they're making the transition to come to college 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:32.000 feel that it's so important to be in college that 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:36.720 they'll make sacrifices to be there because they understand the 0:07:36.720 --> 0:07:41.760 importance of having an incredible education. Cal State East Bay 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:46.240 as a lot of first generation students who understand why 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:49.560 it's important to take the education lead and to continue 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:53.000 their education to either come out of poverty, to advance 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.640 family and to build legacy, and in that being a 0:07:56.680 --> 0:08:01.280 first generation student, they may not have enough financial aid 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.320 or enough finances to make all of those dots connect. 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.240 So that means that they may take the initiative to 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:12.080 stay in school even when they're unhoused. So at cow 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.920 State Eastpect we have a commitment to our students to 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:18.520 help them meet their basic needs while they're getting to 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:22.640 the graduation finish line. So that means that we I 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:24.920 don't want to say normalized, but we really want to 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:29.040 make students feel comfortable and know that sometimes there are 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:33.640 gaps in finding housing, and there are gaps in having 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.760 enough food, and there may be gaps in clothing and 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:40.280 recognizing that we live in the Bay Area or housing 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:46.200 is tremendously expensive. We've created systems and programs that engage 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:50.360 a students in being involved in basic needs. For instance, 0:08:50.559 --> 0:08:53.920 at orientation, we talk about basic needs and that there 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:56.200 may be a gap and you may have a need 0:08:56.280 --> 0:09:00.559 for food or you may be temporarily unhoused for myriad 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:05.360 of reasons. We normalize having the conversations, we normalize connecting 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:09.199 with mental health, and we normalize bringing the whole student 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:12.839 to cal State East Bay. So you come with your 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:16.280 family as a backup and support. Maybe you're coming as 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:19.120 a foster youth and you may not have that same 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:22.600 family structure. We normalize you belong here at cal State 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:25.440 East Bay, and if there is a gap, let's work 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.679 together to help feel that need and connect you to 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:33.480 programs resources both on campus, off campus, and throughout the community. 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:37.520 I love that you're removing the stigma associated with not 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:39.960 having your basic needs met. And we have so many 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:43.840 stereotypes about unhoused people, and you just flip that the 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.960 idea that people would sacrifice their housing to pursue their education. 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:50.920 It says a lot about us as a society that 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:52.959 that's a choice people have to make. Yes. I think 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.880 it says a lot about us that the educational institution 0:09:55.960 --> 0:09:58.320 is stepping in to fill some of these gaps and 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:00.400 not some other part of our society. I d so 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:04.120 thank you, and I'm sorry that you're in this position 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:06.560 to have to try to help in this way for 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:10.600 something so very basic. I feel an honor inner privilege 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:13.440 to be able to connect and to be trusted. There's 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:17.080 a lot of conversation happening in all kinds of media, 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:23.520 social mainstream everything in between about lack of housing, housing, unaffordability, 0:10:23.600 --> 0:10:27.280 housing instability. What do we each of you think we're 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:31.360 getting wrong in that conversation? Well, for me, I feel 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.240 like we see sort of housing as a commodity, and 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.520 I think we need to treat housing as a right. 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:41.800 We need to do whatever we can to ensure that 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.040 we are investing in housing. Housing is part of the 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:49.320 way that we invest in our young people, we invest 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:52.920 in our health, we invest in our future. Is really 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:58.120 a part of how we sustain our communities and how 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:00.440 do we build and strengthen the kind of units that 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:03.600 we want our children to have for our folks to 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:05.960 live in. And the more that we think about it 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.280 like that and reframe it, I think the more likely 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:11.920 will have the kinds of range of affordable housing options 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:14.560 that we need in our communities. And to read obviously 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.280 same question to you, what are we getting wrong in 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:22.560 this conversation? Many conversations we're having a us versus them 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:27.400 versus and altogether, so I think taking some ownership and 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.920 responsibility for each and every one of us to create 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:33.439 and build both the sense of community and how will 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:37.600 that impact both the housing So being able to cast 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:42.160 off and say it's someone else's issue or someone else's problem, 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:45.360 whether that be government or whomever you want to blame, 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:50.960 allows you to escape your own personal responsibility to degrade 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:53.679 the community. And if you start looking at it that 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:59.319 I have a responsibility to create community thereby creating housing opportunity, 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.400 And what can I do in my sphere of influence 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:07.320 to impact that will allow us to take ownership, understand 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:11.640 our own personal power and authority, and do something with 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:15.440 that in our spirit influence. Y'all are both in the 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:19.240 Bay Area the area what's up? And Matt, You've been 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:22.599 working in nonprofits for a long time, You've been associated 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:26.800 with Habitat for Humanity for a long time. And this problem, 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:31.040 this rise of people who have unstable housing or no 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.720 access to housing at all, it's continued, It's gotten worse, 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:39.679 it's gotten less affordable. What's changed from your point of 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:45.160 view over these years to make the problem worse. It's 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:48.360 such a complicated question. It's such an important question and 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:51.080 one that I think we're continuing to learn more about. 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:56.040 For be Uh, this area has become more and more wealthy, 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:59.560 and the gap between the rich and the poor has 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:05.720 grown so dramatically that the opportunity has really accelerated the 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:09.800 cost of housing, and we've brought in a lot of jobs, 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:15.559 but we've failed to create housing for people who are 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:20.400 often cleading our houses, cooking our food, driving our buses. 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:24.000 We stopped investing in social housing many many years ago, 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:27.959 and the amount of money that's available for affordable housing 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:32.320 has dropped year after year after year. That wasn't always 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:35.360 the case. There was a time when we did, but 0:13:35.800 --> 0:13:39.120 also at that time, only white folks had the access 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:43.480 to social housing. And since then, we've made it very 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:47.600 difficult for communities, particularly communities of color, to get access 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.000 to affordable housing. And then in this country and in 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:53.960 this region in particular, we've made it even more difficult 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:58.760 through exclusionary zoning and a whole range of efforts that 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:04.240 have kept people out of communities where we've got good jobs, 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:08.760 excellent schools, and so there is an enormous challenge and 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.240 lots of different strategies that we're going to have to 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:14.000 continue to push in order to level this playing field 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.000 and make sure that moderate and low income folks have 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:20.960 this opportunity. In terms of the strategies that we use 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:24.920 to combat the rise of on house people have we 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:28.920 gotten better any of them. I think we have, and 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:32.040 I think it's taken the in some ways, the COVID 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:34.720 crisis to get us there. I think there's a buch 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:39.280 deeper recognition about the crisis and the crisis not just 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:43.640 affecting the most extremely low income folks, but also people 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:47.360 who are working families who can't afford here. I mean, 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:49.760 it's frustrating that we've had to get to this point, 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:52.480 but I think that there is a lot more attention. 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.520 There's a lot more focus. I've seeing that attention at 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:57.920 the state levels. At the local levels, there's a lot 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:03.520 of pressure on local governments to change their zoning laws 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:07.000 to open up their communities to low income people, and 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:10.840 there's a lot more visibility around that. Those are for 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:12.960 mere reasons to feel hopeful that we are starting to 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:14.920 see some changes, but we have a long way to go. 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:17.280 I grew up in d C myself, and I can 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:21.280 remember the arguments in the eighties over extending the metrorail 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.600 by communities that didn't have it and didn't want it 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.840 because it would bring those people, those people couldn't afford cars, 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:33.200 undesirables into the neighborhood, and we collectively pay a price 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:35.680 for that lack of investment and instead of living in 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:38.960 that environment to day. In so many places across the country, 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.880 I've read thereas that if we threw twenty billion dollars 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:46.960 at this problem, we could largely resolve the challenge of 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:50.320 unhoused people in the US. And one of the elements 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.440 of that solution is something called permanent supportive housing, where 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:59.560 you're pairing housing with case management and supportive services. Have 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:03.520 used seeing firsthand how this model can help the most 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:07.760 vulnerable folks in our communities. Absolutely, that is part of 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.520 the process that we use for unhoused students. As part 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:14.360 of that work, our students work with a care team, 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:18.880 and that care team includes case managers, it includes mental 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:22.640 health professionals, it includes every one of the deans of 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:27.200 our departments on campus as well. There's other supportive services 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:31.320 on campus just to make sure a student who is 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:39.120 unhoused has the support that they need, both academically, emotionally physically. 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:42.560 So we take care of the physical temporary issue to 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:46.480 get you a safe space, and in that housing, that 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:50.200 safe space has everything that you need from food to 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:55.320 walking in with toiletries, with blankets. It's set up as 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:58.400 a home so you can just take a breath when 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:02.240 you walk in. There's meals available for you, there's meals 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:05.760 for you to cook, and then there's case managers that 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:09.000 are assigned to help you walk through the process to 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:13.400 understand that this may not just be a temporary thing 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:18.320 or there were steps that we're in play that got 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:22.040 you to this place. We're gonna work together to help 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.160 you move from this just bumping the road to get 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:29.119 you to permanent housing. With the academic peace, we actually 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:32.560 include the deans because if you're going through some challenges 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.440 and you're trying to do finals, you're trying to do homework, 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:38.240 you're trying to handle all of these other things as 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:42.800 well as advocate for yourself, then that makes it difficult. 0:17:43.040 --> 0:17:46.720 So having the deans there to say we're working with 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:49.719 the student, but not retraumatize the student to have to 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:54.359 tell their story over and over and over again. That 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:57.760 the deans are here just to say, Okay, this student 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:00.320 is going to need some extra time and will let 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:03.760 you know how much time that is. So creating that 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:08.960 care team across the campus, up and down from administrators 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:13.760 to everyone else around the campus to just help keep 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:16.919 you on track with your goals and to understand that 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:19.440 this is just a bump in the road. I think 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:23.720 it's a model that is working tremendously. It's also allowing 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:27.080 our students to learn about advocacy. So through this process, 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.800 they're working with our local Hayward government, they have a 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:33.320 tiny Holmes project, they're advocating at the state level, they're 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:36.359 advocating at the national level, and they're much more aware 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:40.240 of not only what's going on, but their voice and 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:45.280 demanding that their voice be heard. So yes, sparitunity absolutely, 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:49.000 the supportive peace to me is the key is the model, 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:53.920 and it shouldn't just before emergency situations. I want to 0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:58.800 get each of you to define what's a home there? 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:02.720 What is a home? Consider stuff? It varies. A home 0:19:02.840 --> 0:19:07.760 consists where you feel safe, and I think the definition 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:12.160 is a little bit different for everyone. So if you've 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:18.600 been consistently unhoused, home sometimes for you can feel just 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:24.000 a temporary space that isn't necessarily safe. So with our students, 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:27.439 sometimes when we provide this respite safe, this is the 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:31.280 first time they've seen a home in this caliber. Many 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:36.120 of our students are surprised about the level of care 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:42.640 that we've taken into decorating, into providing welcoming messages inside 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:46.600 of the space, to provide a warm blankets and decor 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.840 that says you're welcome here, and it's not hey, you 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:52.080 have to be here a certain amount of time and 0:19:52.080 --> 0:19:54.639 you have to leave. And the fact that you have 0:19:54.800 --> 0:19:57.679 the ability to create your own safe space, so we 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.879 provide opportunities to put your own art on the wall 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:05.280 to make a space that feel safe. Yeah, a sense 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:09.360 of belonging and a sense of ownership absolutely, Matt. What's 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.680 what's your definition of a home in additioned to all 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:15.040 these beautiful ways that you've described it there, So I 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.080 think it's a place where you can dream. It's a 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:21.320 place where you can envision a world for yourself and 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:24.000 for your family, where you've got the security and the 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:30.639 stability to take risks to grow and be yourself. And 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:35.879 it's about the community that you create. This work that 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:39.320 you're both involved in sounds like it's way too much 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:43.840 for one institution or one type of entity. Who do 0:20:43.880 --> 0:20:47.600 you think the key parties are in actually providing stability 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:51.440 and affordable housing. You have to have help from both 0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:57.240 community and government right now to build both infrastructure, an 0:20:57.280 --> 0:21:03.159 opportunity for afe and available housing. Matt mentioned some of 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:06.879 the barriers that we've seen. There has to be a 0:21:06.920 --> 0:21:14.480 partnership with government, education, community developers. But the first commitment 0:21:14.520 --> 0:21:16.920 is be willing to look at the barriers that were 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:21.160 either erected or that are being sustained for the benefit 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:24.560 of a few, and be willing to look at those 0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:30.159 and then tear them down. Tear down that wall. But 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:33.480 when you're tearing down walls, you start talking about collaboration 0:21:34.160 --> 0:21:36.600 and derese and Matt had the chance to do just that. 0:21:37.600 --> 0:21:42.880 In February, Salesforce dot org announced its inaugural Impact Labs challenge. 0:21:43.600 --> 0:21:46.879 Impact Labs is a program designed to co create technology 0:21:46.960 --> 0:21:50.080 solutions that help address some of the toughest social issues 0:21:50.119 --> 0:21:56.720 we're facing. That collaboration involves nonprofits, educational institutions, Salesforce partners, 0:21:56.720 --> 0:22:00.760 and employee volunteers. The initial cohort focused on how they 0:22:00.760 --> 0:22:05.200 could use technology to reduce friction for people experiencing homelessness 0:22:05.600 --> 0:22:08.359 and strengthen the work of the service providers and organizations 0:22:08.359 --> 0:22:12.720 who support them. Both case workers and unhoused people deal 0:22:12.760 --> 0:22:17.960 with repetitive data collection, antiquated systems of paperwork, frustrating separation, 0:22:18.000 --> 0:22:22.800 of databases across county lines, and the painful expectation that 0:22:22.840 --> 0:22:26.320 people have to constantly retell their traumas in order to 0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:30.840 get and keep access to essential supportive services. With a 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:33.480 focus on the San Francisco Bay Area as a test case, 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:36.360 the hope was to create a scalable solution that could 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:40.080 be leveraged by nonprofits and communities all across the country. 0:22:40.520 --> 0:22:42.920 They basically applied a lot of the thinking that goes 0:22:42.960 --> 0:22:47.199 into making our online shopping experiences smoother and simpler, but 0:22:47.240 --> 0:22:50.399 applied it to the much more consequential situation of a 0:22:50.440 --> 0:22:54.480 lack of housing. The result with service match and open 0:22:54.520 --> 0:22:58.280 source app that streamlines the process of finding, making and 0:22:58.359 --> 0:23:02.000 following up on service referral, freeing up a case manager's 0:23:02.040 --> 0:23:07.640 time for more meaningful client interaction. While the tangible output 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:11.239 is so important, I wanted to understand more about the 0:23:11.320 --> 0:23:14.720 experience the reason that shared, so let's hear how it 0:23:14.800 --> 0:23:19.920 really works. Matt. Let's start with you here. Why did 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:22.840 you decided to be a part of this collaboration. I 0:23:22.880 --> 0:23:26.640 think I was mostly compelled because I wanted to get 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:29.280 a chance to meet people like Therese and all the 0:23:29.320 --> 0:23:32.600 other incredible folks who are on the front lines addressing 0:23:33.359 --> 0:23:36.680 affordability and homelessness, And so for me, that was why 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:39.600 I joined. What about you? Why did you join? I 0:23:39.640 --> 0:23:43.400 saw it as an opportunity to really find some systemic 0:23:43.560 --> 0:23:47.000 or technical tools to help impact an issue that we're 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:51.120 all very passionate about in a very real way. What's 0:23:51.160 --> 0:23:54.280 the process y'all went through to arrive at this distinct 0:23:54.280 --> 0:23:58.119 solution that ended up being called service Manage. It was 0:23:58.160 --> 0:24:01.560 a lot of question and answer. Are us digging deep 0:24:01.680 --> 0:24:06.440 about needs and pain points? I think out of pain 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:11.040 sometimes comes very great solutions. So we talked about our 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:15.480 pain points that we had in serving our communities and 0:24:16.400 --> 0:24:19.320 what each one of us knew, and that all came 0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:22.879 together in a way that provided a technical tool that 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:25.600 was accessible. Anything else stand out to you, Matt, about 0:24:25.640 --> 0:24:28.439 the process of kind of identifying this and coming to 0:24:28.520 --> 0:24:31.399 service Match as as possible solution. Sure, one of the 0:24:31.400 --> 0:24:33.200 things we did was we got a chance to either 0:24:33.280 --> 0:24:36.399 learn about or sort of relearn a concept cult design 0:24:36.480 --> 0:24:40.160 thinking where we had a chance to really think about 0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:43.240 the end user, what they needed, what they wanted. We 0:24:43.320 --> 0:24:45.120 all got a chance to sort of think about how 0:24:45.200 --> 0:24:49.680 that applied in our community, and then brought this all 0:24:49.760 --> 0:24:53.800 together into a set of thoughts and ideas about what 0:24:53.880 --> 0:24:56.480 was the sort of the most important, but what was 0:24:56.520 --> 0:25:00.760 the most practical strategy that we could offer both as 0:25:00.800 --> 0:25:04.399 sort of nonprofit folks on the affordable housing side and 0:25:04.480 --> 0:25:07.480 tech people who could deliver the solution. We call this 0:25:07.560 --> 0:25:11.960 show force multiplier. So mad I'll start with you. What's 0:25:12.000 --> 0:25:16.520 been the force multiplier, that thing that provided more leverage, 0:25:16.960 --> 0:25:19.919 level of distinction, and level of value from it that 0:25:20.000 --> 0:25:23.840 made a bigger difference in this collaboration. Well, I do 0:25:23.960 --> 0:25:27.920 think that it's this opportunity for folks who don't normally 0:25:27.960 --> 0:25:31.400 come together in the same place. We're pushed together from 0:25:31.880 --> 0:25:35.000 really different sort of universes. We sort of had to 0:25:35.000 --> 0:25:38.439 bring our different approaches and insights and and that I 0:25:38.480 --> 0:25:42.840 think is pretty cool chemistry that was really helpful. It 0:25:42.880 --> 0:25:45.000 would be lovely if we had a chance to continue 0:25:45.000 --> 0:25:48.520 to do that. We've got to keep creating those incubators 0:25:48.640 --> 0:25:51.800 where folks who are really coming out this work from 0:25:51.960 --> 0:25:55.359 very very different perspectives a chance to do that, because 0:25:55.400 --> 0:25:58.040 I think there is amazing things that can happen that way. 0:25:58.280 --> 0:26:02.200