On Episode 8 of the Upswell Podcast, we tackle this intractable challenge with two changemakers whose organizations are taking on the complexities of homelessness and making headway, slowly but surely.

First we’ll talk with Delphia Simmons, Director of Passport to Self-Sufficiency at the Coalition on Temporary Shelter, one of Detroit’s largest providers of housing for homeless families and children. We’ll learn more about Delphia, and how her the Coalition is not only providing emergency housing, but also providing broader supportive services that offer families long-term solutions to create a more stable environment for generations to come.

Then we’ll turn to Los Angeles and Mike Alvidrez, CEO Emeritus and External Ambassador of the Skid Row Housing Trust. While he claims to be retired from the Trust, Mike is still deeply involved in their work to help LA residents grappling with poverty, physical and mental illness, disabilities, and addiction secure permanent housing and lead healthier and more stable lives.

If you’re coming to Upswell, you’ll have the opportunity to tour the Skid Row Housing Trust and Downtown Women’s Center as part of the LA Inside & Out tours on Wednesday, Nov. 14. You’ll will get a first-hand look not only at the challenges, but also at innovative approaches to providing supportive housing and other services that are transforming lives.

Homelessness is just one of the community challenges that changemakers from across the social good spectrum will take on at Upswell in Los Angeles, Nov. 14-16. We’ll be sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how lessons learned and new collaborations can translate into innovative solutions and out-of-the-box approaches to change our communities, and the world, for the better.