5/22/2025

Last week the “Bringing it HOME 2025”conference was held in Raleigh, NC. This was a gathering of over 450 people meeting for two days to explore the issues related to housing for all in North Carolina. The three lead agencies/organizations were – NC Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Housing Coalition and NC Coalition to end Homelessness. 

Throughout the complex discussions about how to address the shortage of affordable housing and how to ensure everyone has access to safe and secure housing, a few themes were clear, 1) the funding cuts are going to impact everyone (those with housing and those unhoused), 2) solutions are grounded in the community coming together to create unique solutions that meet the needs in that space, and 3) people who are or have experienced homelessness need to play a meaningful role in creating solutions and take leadership roles to ensure success. 

In fact, the keynote speaker, Mr. Donald Whitehead, Jr. the Executive Director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, began his career as an outreach worker after he himself experienced homelessness. For 25 years he has used his knowledge and experience to help others, providing direct services to people experiencing homelessness, people in shelters, veteran’s in need of services and now building policies and advocacy efforts around the nation to help others. His opening remarks inspired everyone to think creatively, be hopeful and leverage the experiences others have had as we enter what can only be described as a time of change and upheaval.

In North Carolina, there is a history of communities developing advisory boards to create change.  Around the issues of homelessness, many regions have created Lived Expertise Advisory Councils (LEACs) that serve in an advisory capacity to community leaders strategizing around this issue. LEACs consist of people with lived and living experience of homelessness and they are as unique as each region is. Following the keynote speaker a panel of people with lived experience and serving on LEACs from around the state, shared their stories and insights. Each story showed the courage and perseverance it takes to move beyond the stigma and challenges associated with being homeless. 

One key theme, that was reiterated time after time, was the importance of peer support and the value of compassionate respect for everyone. I was struck by one of the panelists encouraging audience members to have “Courageous Conversations”. She explained many people working in this field have triumphant conversations where a problem is identified, a solution determined, and often imposed without listening to the actual person living on the street. She called for people to have the difficult or uncomfortable conversations and remember there is clarity in kindness, implying that listening to people with lived experience is critical.

Another of the panelists explained that where you sit is what you see – reminding me of last week’s focus on empathy. Following this two-day meeting it was difficult not to be concerned about the impact of the impending budget cuts. I kept thinking our system to help people who are experiencing homelessness is not perfect, but we do make a difference for many people each year. And in the midst of these anticipated changes let’s not forget the importance of compassion and learn from the experiences of people who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness. The famous poet, Maya Angelou captured everyone’s life experience in the following quote: 

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go and not be questioned.”

I hope everyone that reads this article can find it in their heart to help create a safe place for someone to live over the next few months.

PWA is working with our friends to offer you a chance to go on a cruise that will benefit the people living with chronic health conditions, like HIV, that PWA serves. The winter months are often difficult with requests for help with heating and utilities more than doubling.

PWA is working with Flex Ur Travel FJ Enterprise to offer like-minded and socially supportive friends and partners the chance to meet and relax on a CRUISE!

If you are interested in a fun get away, leaving from Miami, FL and cruising to the Bahamas, November 21-24, please contact flexurtravel@gmail.com and reference PWA. If you have any interest, contact them ASAP and reserve your spot!

Join us for relaxation the week before the holiday rush begins...and help us help people with chronic health conditions keep their heat and utilities on during the winter months!

Take a moment and imagine what we’d ask ourselves after receiving devastating health news. Will our health insurance cover this (if you have it)? Do we have a way to consistently get to our appointments? Do we have a safe place to live? Can we keep our homes if we miss work due to this? Will my friends and family be there for me?

For those we help, unfortunately those questions are met with extreme uncertainty. For this reason, PWA urges you to consider making a planned monthly donation to PWA. For as little as $30 a month, you can help heat a home in the winter and have A/C in the summer. For $50 a month you help children get a healthy breakfast each day. For $100 a month, you can help provide a housing deposit that allows a single parent to move into an apartment. 

In today’s challenging times, let’s come together to make sure that we can help as many as possible.