AICHO at the National Conference on Ending Homelessness

AICHO is honored to have Kathleen Martin attend the 2024 National Conference on Ending Homelessness on behalf of our organization. Kathleen is AICHO’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program housing advocate (FHPAP), and she was selected as a subgrantee by Saint Louis County FHPAP to attend the conference in Washington DC. There, Kathleen had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Congressman Pete Stauber, the staff of U.S. Congressman Brad Finstad, and U.S. Senator Tina Smith to discuss issues we have in our community on homelessness and our expected outcomes for the FHPAP. She attended engaging encampments with empathy, navigating the trauma of racism as a BIPOC service provider.

Kathleen’s take away from the conference
There is no clear solution to the homeless problem, though the process begins at adolescence. Children see this happening to them as they grow up and it becomes a norm. Helping as much as possible and caring for the children and making them a priority to receive housing is a must. Change the norm. With very little funding it makes doing this work very hard, but necessary. I take pride in my position at AICHO and I too come from lived experience. I take the work I do to help those find stable housing very seriously and hope that helping one family at a time changes the lives of others.  It's not a lot, but it's the best I can do with what I have.

Kathleen attended several workshops and breakout sessions on the topics of:

• housing problem solving​
• ​​persuasive appeal for homelessness solutions
• emerging research and its influence on homelessness
• rapid rehousing for adults under community supervision
• preserving and creating new housing
• reassessing the permanent supportive housing models
• homeless housing authorities

End Homelessness