Tania Hughes works at the intersection of lived expertise, systems change, and community leadership within the homelessness response system in Austin/Travis County, Texas. She currently serves with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), the region’s lead Continuum of Care, where she supports lived experience leadership initiatives that center the voices of people directly impacted by homelessness in community decision-making and systems planning. 

Tania has facilitated lived experience leadership initiatives including the Austin Youth Collective (AYC) and the Austin Homelessness Advisory Council (AHAC), supporting youth and adult leaders with lived experience of homelessness as they engage in policy, program design, advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration. Her work focuses on building authentic relationships, creating spaces where people feel seen and heard, and helping systems move beyond performative engagement toward meaningful partnership with impacted communities. 

Before joining ECHO, Tania worked as a Permanent Supportive Housing Case Manager and as a peer support specialist serving individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges. As the first peer specialists integrated into her previous organization’s homelessness services team, she helped bridge gaps between service providers and clients through trust-building, advocacy, and person-centered support grounded in her own lived experience. 

Throughout her career, Tania has remained deeply committed to equity, accountability, and leadership development among people with lived expertise. She has contributed to system improvement efforts including the development of an equity review tool for the local homelessness response system and regularly collaborates with providers, government partners, and community stakeholders to ensure policies and programs reflect the realities of those most impacted. 

Tania brings a leadership style rooted in authenticity, compassion, and action. She believes that the people closest to the challenges communities face should also be closest to the decisions shaping the solutions.