What Makes Communities Work?

On May 20, our third and final event in the series, we invited communities members to pause and consider their personal hopes, fears, and lessons from their own direct experience of homelessness. There are many efforts underway that attempt to address homelessness. Our hope was that this event would add value to the ongoing work and conversation.

We invited all residents of the Harbor, including businesses, service providers, and those who have direct experience being homeless, to join in a facilitated conversation. Our intention was to provide an opportunity to listen deeply (beyond sector, issue, or position), and challenge our assumptions about homelessness in Harbor communities. Close to 40 people gathered to engage in respectful listening to understand each others’ perspectives. Almost half of the people in the room had experienced homelessness at some point in their life and an equal number were working in some capacity - as law enforcement officers, social service workers, librarians, and business owners - to address the challenges the community faces.