Alliance staff members, too, are reflecting on how they can strengthen their commitment to this work. Here’s what their hopes and goals for the homelessness field look like for 2023:
“In the new year, I want to practice innovation. Through innovation, the emergence of new ideas, solutions and practices can be used to end homelessness.”
— Malik Rivers, Project Associate
“I hope to keep challenging myself to be held to accountable to the equity and justice work that is essential to ending homelessness. Am I doing things like sharing decision making with diverse problem solvers, particularly with people with lived experience? This is the type of question I hope I will continuously ask myself and be responsive to in 2023.”
— Chandra Crawford, Chief Equity Officer
“Continuing to advocate for comprehensive, national data on homelessness among older adults.”
— Yolanda Stevens, Program and Policy Analyst
“Grounding my work in equity and justice and staying accountable to communities of color and individuals with lived experience.”
— Josh Johnson, Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
“I want to get our wonderful field partners more involved in our efforts to mitigate the workforce crisis. I want them to know that at the Alliance, we will fight tirelessly to ease the burden of staffing shortages so that our friends can focus on what is most important.”
— Samantha Wood, National Field Organizer
“For 2023, I am committing to spending more time in the field connecting with people with lived experience of homelessness and service providers doing the work on the ground. Our policy work is only effective when we have our ear to the ground and let the front lines lead.”
— Alex Visotzky, Senior California Policy Fellow
“My resolution is to believe in all the possibilities and advocate for creative housing solutions.”
— Kay Moshier McDivitt, Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
The new year holds a lot of promise for homelessness: a new Congress, new funding, new ideas, and new energy. A new homelessness data and a new federal strategy released at the end of 2022 left advocates hopeful about what we can all accomplish together. In 2023, this momentum can continue. The Alliance looks forward to working with communities across the country in the shared mission to end homelessness.