Dunn believes that honest conversations about the economics of homelessness are crucial. “We need to be doing more on prevention, rent relief, tenant protection, and landlord dispute resolution, because the housing crisis is fueling homelessness,” she states. “Senior housing is also important. Many seniors sleep in their cars because they don’t feel safe in shelters, and we need to consider this medically fragile group.”
Challenging social myths about homelessness is also important. “We don’t often see families because they opt for transitional housing, sleeping on couches, or in their cars,” she says. “You can’t tell that they are your kid’s friends at school, or that they slept in their car last night. People need to hear these stories more.”
Although she was aware of Interfaith, Dunn became more involved as multiple agencies and organizations tried to coordinate human services for homeless populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Interfaith’s involvement in decision making has been really important, to provide the perspective and value of families’ needs, now and into the future through transformational sustainable change,” she observes. “Interfaith really meets the need and provides a warm, community space for families to rebuild their lives. And we need to protect that.”
