Dr. Searles Presents on the Topic of Homelessness in the Region to Local Leaders

Dr. Searles presents to LEAD San DiegoDid you know that 7 in 10 Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless? Or that there are about 13,000 youth who are homeless, 300 of whom are totally unaccompanied? How about that 25 percent of women are homeless because of domestic violence?

LEAD San Diego presented Hot Topics: Homeless in San Diego on Friday, December 3 at the United Way of San Diego as a special continuing educational opportunity for its Alumni Association Members and our own Dr. Searles (a LEAD alumnus) was there presenting to this group of San Diego leaders...

He was joined by:

Dr. Searles joined by Brian Maienschein and councilmember Todd Gloria on the panel.Peter Callstrom, LEAD graduate, Class of ’98, executive director of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH), who moderated the panel.

Brian Maienschein, former San Diego city councilmember and commissioner of Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in partnership with the United Way of San Diego.  Mr. Maienschein is spearheading Project 35, which is the first program collaboration of its kind in San Diego involving the United Way of San Diego, the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego and local nonprofits including St. Vincent de Paul. The focus of the three-year plot program is to provide permanent housing, supporting services and a comprehensive discharge program for at least 25 of San Diego’s chronically homeless.

The Honorable Todd Gloria, councilmember, City of San Diego, District 3, was our final speaker underscoring the important role that the political process plays in making supporting services available for homeless in San Diego. Gloria is passionate about finding solutions for homeless individuals and has shown that through his service as Chair of the Land Use and Housing Committee and as a former commissioner for the San Diego Housing Commission.