Last month, a National Lived Experience Leadership Conference took place in San Jose, bringing together hundreds of advocates and leaders. The gathering focused on empowering people who have experienced homelessness to build political influence, strengthen leadership, and directly shape policies affecting their lives. This conference occurred at a time of significant changes to federal homelessness policy.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced major adjustments to its $4 billion Continuum of Care funding program. These changes are shifting priorities toward treatment, recovery, and transitional housing, challenging the “Housing First” approach that has guided much of the nation’s response to homelessness for years. These shifts have already led to legal challenges and created uncertainty for communities relying on federal resources to house people. Additionally, the administration's broader focus on public safety and enforcement has heightened the national debate surrounding homelessness.
These decisions involve billions of dollars and affect hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Americans. However, the national conversation often remains dominated by politicians, government officials, and institutional advocates. The individuals who have personally experienced homelessness, according to conference organizers, deserve more than a supporting role in these discussions.
Their experiences offer critical insights that can inform policy. For instance, in the debate over whether treatment should precede housing, someone struggling with addiction or serious mental illness can attest to the life-saving potential of effective treatment. Yet, a person who has navigated homelessness can also explain the challenges when treatment is unavailable, when program requirements create barriers, or when housing is lost while trying to stabilize health. These perspectives should guide how programs are designed, funded, and evaluated, complicating political narratives that simplify homelessness.
Similarly, regarding encampment enforcement, residents seek safe, accessible public spaces. However, people who have undergone repeated displacement can describe the consequences when medications, identification documents, or connections to outreach workers disappear during a sweep. Such perspectives do not eliminate difficult policy choices but help policymakers understand the real-world impact of their decisions. This is precisely why the movement represented at the San Jose conference holds importance.
Earlier this year, a new National Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Board was launched, comprising 15 leaders from across the country. Over 300 individuals expressed interest in serving, indicating a significant pool of leadership and a demand for meaningful participation. Here in Santa Clara County, the Lived Experience Advisory Board of Silicon Valley has been developing similar leadership capacity since 2018. These initiatives acknowledge that expertise is not confined to professional credentials or elected office.
However, mere representation is not enough. Leaders with lived experience require access to decision-making authority, compensation for their contributions, and opportunities to influence funding priorities before final decisions are made. Without these elements, participation risks becoming “another exercise in checking a box rather than sharing power.”
As voters consider choices this November, they are encouraged to seek more than promises about homelessness. They should expect candidates and elected officials to demonstrate how those most affected by policies will participate in shaping them. This involves asking who is helping draft legislation, who serves on governing boards, and whose expertise is valued during budget decisions. The recently approved Community Plan to End Homelessness calls for this kind of work, and residents should demand its implementation.
The implications extend beyond homelessness itself. At a time when questions arise about whether government listens to ordinary people, leadership from those with lived experience offers a crucial element for democracy: a meaningful connection between those wielding power and those who understand its consequences. Those who have experienced policy failures, the source material states, deserve the power to change them, not just a voice in the conversation.