Past Event: Housing and Homelessness in California

Across the United States, homelessness is on the rise. In California, there are over 181,000 people without a stable place to call home—about 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers continued to rise as earnings dropped and the housing affordability crisis worsened.

What are the interventions that prevent people from becoming homeless? What lessons have we learned from local, regional, and statewide efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the Bay Area and beyond?

Join the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, the Goldman School of Public Policy, and a diverse panel of cross-sector experts and advocates for a discussion on reducing poverty and addressing homelessness in California.

Register to join here.

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Bora Reed at borareed@berkeley.edu or 510-680-3013 with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

Speakers

Kevin F. Adler is an award-winning social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and author. Since 2014, Kevin has served as the Founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems and financial security, primarily through family reunification services, a phone buddy program, and direct cash transfers, including one of the first basic income pilots for unhoused individuals in the United States. Kevin’s pioneering work on homelessness and relational poverty has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, in his TED Talk, and in his newest book, When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America. He received his MPhil in sociology from the University of Cambridge, his BA in politics from Occidental College, and is currently completing his MPA from the Goldman School of Public Policy and UC Berkeley.

Ryan Finnigan is an Associate Research Director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, helping design and execute the center’s research agenda. His research has focused on homelessness in California, and poverty and social policy both in the United States overall and internationally.

Prior to joining the Terner Center, Ryan was an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Davis. Ryan has a PhD and MA in Sociology from Duke University, and a BA in Sociology and BS in Mathematics from Indiana University.

Kyriell Noon is the CEO of Hamilton Families—the leading nonprofit service provider to families experiencing homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kyriell Noon joined Hamilton Families as the CEO in October 2020. Prior to Hamilton Families, Noon served for 20 years in the SF non-profit sector at Juma Ventures, Youth and Family Enrichment Services, STOP AIDS Project, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and GLIDE. As Chief Impact Officer at GLIDE, he oversaw the organization’s Programs, Church, Center for Social Justice, and Data, Strategy, and Evaluation teams. As part of their Senior Leadership, he provided critical strategic leadership on matters related to GLIDE’s community-facing programming. Originally from New York City, Noon attended Vassar College and Harvard University.

Robynne Rose-Haymer is a Vice President at Capitol Impact in Sacramento, California. Recently transitioning from the nonprofit world, Robynne joined Capitol Impact to utilize her over twenty years of workforce development, program development & implementation, and leadership experience to support organizations with their policy, strategy, and professional development goals. Focused on economic justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Robynne’s continuing passion is helping people obtain the education and skills they need to pursue their goals. Robynne began her career as an ‘on the ground practitioner’ working directly with low-income families and communities of color on health & well-being and education issues.

Ali Sutton joined Tipping Point to more directly serve her community while also continuing to work on the critical system changes necessary to ensure meaningful reductions in poverty. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Ali served as the State of California’s Deputy Secretary for Homelessness where she oversaw the state’s interagency council on homelessness and several large state homelessness grant programs. Earlier in her career Ali served as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, focusing on a range of anti-poverty programs within the Administration for Children and Families. Ali graduated with a Masters in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy, and received her B.A from the University of Iowa. When not working to alleviate poverty, Ali can be found hiking, backpacking or reading a good book…outdoors!