What does unsheltered homelessness look like right now on the ground? In this episode, Khadja Erickson (https://trcmm.org) joins the pod to discuss direct street outreach, the changing landscape of encampments, the growing health risks and other challenges facing people surviving outdoors. From chronic injuries and untreated medical conditions, Khadja explains how street outreach teams are responding to increasingly isolated situations with limited resources. The conversation also highlights the rise in young families and children experiencing homelessness and the growing challenges communities face in meeting their needs via street outreach (with very limited funding).

This episode offers an honest look at the realities many communities never see — and why the need for housing, outreach support, and coordinated solutions continues to grow.

This episode unpacks a controversial new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs—and what it signals for the future of homelessness policy, particularly for veterans.

At the heart of this conversation is a fundamental policy question: should homelessness and disability-related vulnerability be met with expanded systems of care and housing support, or with increased legal control over individuals’ lives?

Director of Public Policy (and former Army Major Nick Cook) uses his 13 years of active duty to share his unique military perspective. Senior Director of Advocacy and Engagement (and attorney) also maps out the legal implications and clarifications.

Summary of Memo of Understanding from the National Low Income Housing Coalition

In this episode, guest Johanna Kononen (Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence) explores the critical link between domestic abuse and sexual assault and the disproportionate rates of homelessness among women and children.

She discusses how unsafe home environments often force individuals to flee with little to no resources, leaving them vulnerable to housing instability. The conversation highlights the systemic gaps in support services, the challenges survivors face in securing safe and stable housing, and the importance of trauma-informed approaches.

Johanna also underscores the need for stronger community responses and policy solutions to prevent homelessness before it begins.