Note: Since this article was posted, Tanesha Travis has moved on to new opportunities and is no longer an employee of SSF.
Community Solutions recently published an article featuring Tanesha Travis, the Coordinator for the PLE Cohort at Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF). Travis, who herself experienced homelessness, is a pivotal part of SSF’s efforts to integrate individuals with lived experience into decision-making spaces, guiding the organization toward more equitable outcomes. SSF’s approach involves compensation for partners with lived experience, prioritizing their voices in policy design, and creating power-sharing dynamics. Travis spearheads initiatives like the Housing Problem-Solving Community Initiative, aiming to train trainers within the lived experience community. Furthermore, the organization is addressing racial disparities within homelessness response systems through the Core Equity Team, re-envisioning assessment tools to counter racialized outcomes. Travis’s dedicated work illustrates the critical importance of incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences to create truly effective solutions to homelessness. Read the full article on Community Solutions’ website.