We Can Solve Homelessness: Insights from Lived Experience Advisors

Every year on World Homeless Day (October 10), we pause to remember the millions of people worldwide who live without a safe, stable place to call home. We also ask the question that so many in our communities wonder

“Why are there so many people experiencing homelessness?”

At Lived Experience Advisors (LEA), we believe—and know through experience—that we can solve homelessness. The answers are not hidden; they’re in the stories of people who have lived through it and now guide the path toward change.

Why We Can Solve Homelessness

Too often, people talk about homelessness as if it’s inevitable—an unavoidable byproduct of modern society. But the truth is clear: we can solve homelessness because it’s a human-made problem created by policies and practices, not personal failings.

For decades, our communities have underfunded affordable housing, failed to uphold disability rights in housing programs, and created barriers to accessing services that should be simple and humane. Add to this the rising cost of rent, stagnant wages, lack of behavioral health resources, and systemic racism, and you see why so many lose their homes.

When we fix these systems—fund housing, enforce equity laws, and remove barriers—we demonstrate that we can solve homelessness with collective action and the right priorities.

Lived Experience: The Key to How We Can Solve Homelessness

LEA was founded on a simple but powerful belief: people who have experienced homelessness hold critical knowledge about how we can solve homelessness.

Our advisors have lived through the challenges that policy reports can only describe in charts and graphs. We know what works—and what doesn’t—because we’ve navigated these systems ourselves.

For example:

• We know that paperwork-heavy “solutions” often delay or block people from getting housing.

• We’ve seen how the lack of ADA compliance in housing programs directly undermines stability for people with disabilities.

• We understand that trust and dignity are not optional—they are essential ingredients for lasting housing security.

These lived-experience insights show that we can solve homelessness when decision-makers listen to those who’ve been through it.

World Homeless Day: A Call to Discover Why We Can Solve Homelessness

World Homeless Day is more than a day of awareness; it’s a call to action. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore the reasons behind widespread homelessness—and the solutions that already exist.

When we truly listen to people who’ve been unhoused, we find practical, proven approaches that show we can solve homelessness, including:

• Housing-first programs that prioritize permanent homes over temporary fixes

• Disability rights compliance that supports, rather than excludes, vulnerable residents

• Prevention strategies that stop homelessness before it begins

These strategies have worked in communities that committed to them. We can solve homelessness here, too—if we follow the knowledge and evidence.

Join Us in Proving We Can Solve Homelessness

At Lived Experience Advisors, we believe every community—San Diego included—can end homelessness if it commits to centering lived experience, equity, and dignity in its policies and programs.

This World Homeless Day, we invite you to:

• Learn from people who have experienced homelessness firsthand

• Advocate for evidence-based, rights-respecting housing policies

• Support organizations like LEA that elevate lived-experience voices

Together, we can move from asking “Why are there so many homeless people?” to declaring with confidence that we can solve homelessness—together.

About Lived Experience Advisors: LEA brings the knowledge and leadership of people who have personally experienced homelessness into the design of housing and social service programs. By centering lived experience, we create strategies that truly demonstrate we can solve homelessness.