Welcome to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans’ 2024 Quarterly webinar series, where we delve deep into crucial topics surrounding homelessness and its impact on our society. This season, our focus is on addressing the harmful narratives and creating our own stories that accurately depict the realities of being unhoused. The title of the series is “Changing the narrative about veteran homelessness”

Shaping the Media Narrative | SLIDES | VIDEO

In this first webinar to kick off the series is on shaping the media narrative on homelessness. It is becoming increasingly critical to accurately convey the reality of homelessness. Homelessness is often misunderstood, and there is no doubt that the prevailing stigma attached to the condition negatively affects the everyday person’s perception of it. Disinformation stemming from the anti-homeless agendas is a tremendous obstacle to the mission of ending homelessness. Advocates for solving the issue must have the expertise to galvanize public support for their cause. In this webinar, we will also discuss working with the media to help craft compelling narratives, pitching to reporters, and bolstering your communications apparatus to counter the attacks on homeless veterans, one of the most vulnerable groups in the US.

Guest: Marisol Bello | Executive Director | Housing Narrative Lab

Organizing Candidate Forums | SLIDES | VIDEO

This second webinar of the series is focused on candidate forums and identifying leadership that will support the cause. Non-profit 501c (3) organizations must remain non-partisan and cannot formally involve themselves in politics. However, they can bridge the gap between prospective leaders on homelessness and voters through hosting candidate forums, a community event designed to put candidates in front of their constituents to discuss important issues. We will discuss the extent to which providers can play a role in races and identify other mechanisms that ensure voters are thinking about homelessness at the polls.

Guests: Courtney Cooperman, Project Manager, Our Homes Our Votes | National Low Income Housing Coalition

James C. Durrah II, Chief Communications Officer | Miriam’s Kitchen

Empowering Homeless Voters from Disenfranchisement | Slides | Video

This third webinar is focused on empowering homeless voters. According to research done by the University of Southern California in 2020, 1/10 homeless person votes in general elections. The homeless face systemic challenges that prevent them from casting their ballots, as well as other pressures that keep them disenfranchised. Service providers can help empower the nation’s most severely underrepresented and under-served through voter registration outreach this election year. We will discuss the best practices of homeless voter registration, the implications, and the research on their turnout.

Guests: Lauren Kunis, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at VoteRiders

Celia Moreno, Social Impact Lead at Lyft

Francis Kalombo Ngoy, National Coalition for the Homeless

Amplifying Personal Stories of Homelessness| September 25 2024 | Slides | Video

This final webinar is focused on engaging with and amplifying the personal stories of veteran homelessness. The mission to end veteran homelessness cannot be done without the inclusion of veterans with lived experience and their insights. Their stories spread awareness of the systemic issues of homelessness. That awareness helps inform the work of providers and lawmakers, bridging a greater understanding of homelessness and our approaches to end it. A veteran has a story to tell that goes beyond rhetoric, statistics, and political debate; and a veteran must be at the center to share their experiences. In this webinar, we will discuss mediums to give those veterans a platform to change the narrative on homelessness and incorporating best practices to weave their experiences into the work of providers and advocates.

Guests: Mark Horvath, Founder, Invisible People,
Katie Ettl, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator, Swords to Plowshares