Hopes Solutions Resident Empowerment Program Policy Consultants

Irma Bodden

"When I first got my Section 8 Voucher, I waited only three months to receive my voucher. It wasn't hard to find housing, but in the early 2000s, everything changed Now some landlords won't even consider working with a 'Section 8' resident because of the heinous messaging and over-generalizations that the public has been taught to think about the risk of renting to housing voucher holders That's why I use my REP platform to advocate for legislation that advances affordable housing and supports the narrative shift that values housing vouchers and their holders "

Deborah Carney

"What home means to me is to be sheltered from the weather and the ability to live life at my fullest regardless of my age or disability Often, the people just seeking to live their normal lives and building towards regaining their dwellings are subject to threats, harassment, drug usage, and domestic abuse. So, as a concerned Antioch resident… [I] support new and innovative permanent supportive housing projects so that no one has to stay in sub-optimal shared housing situations "

William Goodwin

"As a homelessness survivor, there are things you don't forget, like the seven years it took my daughter and me to find affordable housing after I became disabled. Or the fact that I was number 2398 on a list of 2500 applicants Tragically, there are waiting lists of 5000+ now I still remember a young lady and her daughter living in an RV parked on the side of the road That could have been my daughter and me. COVID has illuminated the truth. We need to rethink our system of care. I use my REP platform to question whether affordable housing residents have been included in the thought process in every situation and determine how we can help create more affordable housing in our County."

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like attending high school without stable housing, or maybe how a student could end up unhoused? In my case, it was June of 2015, my junior year, when my father and I had to move out of our apartment because my dad wasn't able to work anymore due to him being a military veteran with PTSD triggered by the death of my mother I dropped out of school and my dad sent me to Richmond to stay with family for a month I started attending school again the next school year. Fortunately, I never spent too many nights on the street because I received help, whether that was couch surfing with friends or staying with my dad in the homeless shelter where I had to take an hour-and-a-half train ride to and from school After I graduated, I started renting a house but needed four roommates to be able to afford the rent…we made it…for about a year. But once some roommates moved out, I ended up having to move back in with my dad in an affordable housing unit By no means is it perfect; but it's the first time in a while that I haven't had to worry about where I'll end up next "

Jacqueline Lowery

"As a housing advocate, I have always felt the need to help people fight for their housing rights In the past, I've personally had to deal with homelessness for two months. The unfair laws that are more tailored for landlords versus tenants are just one of many roads that lead to homelessness That's when I decided to help in the fight to end people being displaced. I believe that housing is a human right! My focus is to help make sure that the unhoused have housing. Making sure that they receive all the resources they need and most importantly to help people feel stable, safe, and secure in housing."