Housing instability affects more of us than we realize - and the solutions that work best are being cut just when we need them most.

In this deeply personal episode, I close out our three-part housing series by sharing my own story of housing instability at 17. I explore essential housing definitions, dive into the data showing prevention works, and reflect on how my experience with my mom's chronic homelessness shaped—and then challenged—my understanding of our unhoused community.

This episode's What I'm Learning covers housing definitions from emergency shelter to Housing First, the devastating cuts to California's homelessness funding (San Jose alone losing $30 million annually), and why Santa Clara County's Homelessness Prevention System with its 91% success rate represents the future of housing justice. Our Community Spotlight features the San Jose Obon Festival, a beautiful example of how community creates belonging across generations. For Take Action, I suggest learning about tenant rights, supporting prevention services, and attending public meetings to understand how housing decisions get made.

What I'm Learning:

• ​CalMatters - "Homelessness is top of mind for many Californians. Why does the proposed budget eliminate funding for it?" - https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/06/california-homelessness-funding-budget/
• ​San José Spotlight - "State could strip Silicon Valley's homeless funding" - https://sanjosespotlight.com/state-could-strip-silicon-valleys-homeless-funding/
• ​San José Spotlight - "Santa Clara County homelessness hits new high" - https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-homelessness-hits-new-high/
• ​Results for America - "Homelessness prevention system: Santa Clara County, CA" - https://catalog.results4america.org/case-studies/homelessness-prevention-system

Community Spotlight:

• ​San Jose Obon Festival - https://www.sjbetsuin.org/annual_obon_festival/
• ​Japantown Cultural District - https://japantownculturaldistrict.org/community-events/san-jose-obon-festival

Mentioned in the Episode:

• ​Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System - https://preventhomelessness.org/
• ​Destination: Home Prevention Information - https://destinationhomesv.org/homelessness-prevention/
• ​Notre Dame Wilson Sheehan Lab Study - https://leo.nd.edu/partners-projects/projects/homelessness-prevention/
• ​Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing - https://osh.santaclaracounty.gov/
• ​Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness - https://osh.santaclaracounty.gov/solutions-homelessness/community-plan-end-homelessness

Take Action:

• ​Santa Clara County Tenant Protection Unit - https://www.sccgov.org/sites/consumer/pages/tenant-protection-unit.aspx
• ​Homelessness Prevention System Application - Call (408) 926-8885 or email [email protected]
• ​Sacred Heart Community Service Volunteer Opportunities - https://www.sacredheartcs.org/volunteer
• ​San Jose City Council Meetings - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/city-clerk/meetings