From our Church and Society/Social Justice Committee
Solutions to the complex issue of homelessness in Seattle are varied and multilevel. The Church and Society/Social Justice Committee is offering a virtual Lunch & Learn via zoom, where attendees can listen to and ask questions of the experts involved in addressing this human social emergency in our city. Guest speakers Jody Rauch and Alison Eisenger from Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness will provide an overview of past and current approaches to homelessness in Seattle and solutions the city and county are looking to implement in the near future. This will be followed by a panel discussion providing a variety of perspectives on the issue including Dr. Simha Reddy the Director of Homeless Outreach at the VA and member of the Implementation Board for the Regional Homelessness Authority. Importantly, a brief summary of the upcoming legislative agenda will be given, including ways for people to get involved in advocacy efforts.
Guest Speakers:
Jody Rauch works for the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Addressing homelessness through advocacy, collective action, and policy changes. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies, with 20 years in the healthcare field. Using her decades of direct, clinical experience, she is now focusing on intersections of health and homelessness through policy, advocacy, collective action, and supporting homeless service providers across King County.
Alison Eisenger was hired as the first Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness in 2006. On behalf of the Coalition, Alison works to secure safety, services, housing, and justice for people while they are homeless, and advance public policies and budgets that will solve homelessness and address inequalities. She provides strategic leadership for the Coalition’s public education, advocacy, and public policy work.
Dr. Simha Reddy, Director of Homeless Outreach at the VA; member of the Implementation Board for the Regional Homelessness Authority. Dr. Reddy has worked in the field of homeless health since completing his internal medicine residency at the University of Washington in 2012. Every day as a primary care physician he cares for people who are experiencing or have experienced the trauma of homelessness. He hopes to see interventions that take trauma-informed approaches, that center the dignity of our unhoused neighbors, and work from the premise that health and housing are deeply intertwined.