Homelessness policy conference in San Jose hosts people with lived experience

Often when people gather to discuss the issue of homelessness, advocates and policymakers speak about a problem that, to them, is somewhat academic. But at the Lived Experience Leadership Conference in San Jose, it's all very real.

"It is for people with lived experience, by people with lived experience. I mean, literally," said event coordinator William Goodwin.

The three-day conference at the San Jose Marriott Hotel is bringing in people from all over the country to talk about homelessness from a very personal perspective. They have all lived it, and Goodwin, who spent seven years on the streets, said they are hoping that local policymakers will also be willing to come in and listen.

"The thing about policy is, the people who can tell you most about policy are the people who are closest to the issue," he said.  "And people with lived experience are close to the issue. We've experienced it. We know what it's like to be homeless, to be insecure with housing. And so, why wouldn't you want to be here?  Shouldn't you want to be here?"

Elizabeth Colorado suffered domestic abuse and spent years fighting a drug problem that landed her in prison. But now she works for the Lived Experience Advisory Board, an organization that is trying desperately to get officials to listen to people who have lived the life.

"I feel like, in my head, their minds are already made up before we get up there unless we can really get that one councilmember, or that one person who is just, like, hearing us," said Colorado. "It's just been phenomenal being able to take my experiences and help show people that it is possible to show people that you've come from such a hard place and feel like you belong in a place where change needed to happen."

Change has been slow for Jackie Owens. Her life is featured in The Homeless Advocate, a new national magazine telling the stories of people who often go unseen and unheard. Owens said she has moved more than 50 times in her life, impacted by a father with a severe mental illness. But she said uses art as a medium of expression. In one sculpture, a pair of hands represent the brokenness that people can feel. But running through them are streaks of gold representing hope, ending on a tiny gold house in the palm of one hand.

"The gold is the hope of housing and bringing all the pieces together," she said.

The conference is allowing a number of artists with lived experience to showcase their work.

"It's exciting that I'm going to be able to be here Tuesday night for people to be able to talk to me about my art.  Because I do have so much passion around it," Owens said.  "When you're sitting and creating something, you're able to be in the moment and really focus on that art and be able to bring something you've created to the world."