The National Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Board is an assembly of leaders with lived experience of homelessness representing communities across the country in national decisions and solutions to homelessness.
Purpose
More communities are recognizing the power of lived experience. Local systems and strategies working to address homelessness not only include people who have personally experienced homelessness in the design, they're being led by them.
The Board was established to:
Connect leaders across states to inform and champion proven strategies
Develop and align around a shared advocacy agenda
Influence policies and improve systems at both the local and national level
MEET OUR MEMBERS
The National Board is composed of leaders from communities nationwide, each with lived experience of homelessness and/or housing insecurity:
Ahmed Dirie
Ahmed Dirie, Ph.D. is a writer, community weaver, cultural navigator, and certified Diversity & Inclusion specialist with both lived and professional experience in homelessness, supportive housing, and community development. His perspective is shaped by personal experience with transitional housing as well as years of work in housing, civic inclusion, and community leadership. He serves as a Board Member of the National Lived Experience Advisory Board (NLEAB) and as an Alternative Lived-Experience Advisory Board Member of the Bay Area Housing Innovation Fund Investment Committee. Dr. Dirie previously served as a DEI Specialist with the City of San Jose Housing Department and as Executive Director of the Bay Area Somali Community. A published author, he writes on human interiority, self-leadership, humane workplaces, and social transformation through Human Interiority at Scale on Substack: https://substack.com/@humaninteriorityatscale, and maintains a professional presence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-dirie-dee-ri-ye-7371b21/.
Amanda Veasy
Amanda Veasy is the Texas State Organizer for You Are The Power and the Founder and Executive Director of One Love Longview, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to serving those who have been overlooked, excluded, or criminalized. Through a culture of radical empathy and action, Amanda has worked to provide life-sustaining care and advocate for real change, especially for individuals experiencing homelessness and systemic injustice.
Her leadership expands far beyond One Love. Amanda has spearheaded community initiatives and served in key roles on various boards and coalitions, consistently championing dignity, equity, and access for the most vulnerable. She was also elected to serve on the newly formed National Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Board, helping shape conversations, policy, and solutions at a national level through both professional expertise and lived experience. Her lived experiences fuel her fight for justice. A devoted wife and mother, she is also a writer, creator, and visionary committed to building a freer, more compassionate world.
Ana Fernandez
Ana Fernandez is a bilingual peer health educator with El Rio Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP), where she works in a youth-led program to provide sexual and reproductive health education and services, lead outreach, create social media content, and connect young people to community resources. She is also a Youth Action Board member with Youth On Their Own (YOTO), where she brings her lived experience navigating youth homelessness into leadership spaces, facilitates mutual aid discussions, and supports other youth in accessing resources. Ana recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Medicine, along with minors in Spanish and Biochemistry, and a certificate in Developmental Disabilities. She is passionate about the intersection of public health, policy, homelessness, and immigration, and approaches her work through a trauma-informed lens while centering youth voice in systems change.
Bri Whitfield
Podcaster and motivational speaker
Bri Whitfield is a digital content creator, speaker, and systems strategist who’s deeply passionate about enabling people to live happier, healthier lives and is dedicated to dismantling the root causes of systemic inequity.
Growing up in rural NC, she faced the reality of being an impoverished Black person in the southern United States. Fleeing those conditions, she and her family landed in Washington DC, where the planned housing fell through, and she started her journey with homelessness and housing instability at age 15. While homeless, Bri became pregnant at age 17, but still graduated top of her class in high school and was awarded a full tuition scholarship to The George Washington University. She went on to have her son at age 18 and continued being housing insecure throughout her college years, but still graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Nutrition Science a little over 4 years later.
After she graduated, she led an almost 10-year career in healthcare administration, helping hospitals run as businesses, while always using her free time for advocacy for teen parents, housing support, and racial justice. After a decade trying to help hospitals make their communities healthier, she realized how much deeper the problems go. She has since left healthcare to lean into her passion for driving systemic change that gets to the root causes of societal issues, instead of band-aid fixes that only treat the symptoms, through her podcast and speaking engagements.
Chase Perry
Chase Perry is currently earning his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. For Chase, his passion for academia has been a pathway forward to a more stable future. Chase works at his college food pantry and is deeply involved in grassroots and mutual aid efforts that provide food, hygiene products, harm reduction resources, and safer sex supplies to community members in need.
He also serves on the Santa Cruz Youth Lived Experience Advisory Board (YLEAB), where he helps uplift the voices and experiences of young people impacted by homelessness. The reason for his involvement is to pay forward the endless kindness and support his own communities gave him when he was in need.
Chase is rooted in Santa Cruz’s local punk and Queer communities- shoutout Subrosa and WAQATAC! He helps organize shows and fundraisers at locally owned venues and is a fellow musician—playing the guitar and drums. In his free time, Chase enjoys experimenting with vegan cooking, discussing the evils of capitalism, and connecting with strangers wherever he goes.
Cynthia English
Cynthia English is a native New Yorker and advocate for the homeless who has both personal and professional experience with this topic. She spent 10 years navigating the challenges of street homelessness and three years in and out of the shelter system.
Those years led her to volunteer and then pursue a career as a shelter specialist for the Coalition for the Homeless, an organization that is the driving force behind New York City’s “right to shelter” law (known as the Callahan Consent Decree). The Coalition is the court appointed monitor of the city shelter system, conducting inspections of shelter conditions and advocating for the rights of residents.
Cynthia recently retired from her full-time position and plans to use the next chapter of her life to continue to fight for fair and equitable housing for all New Yorkers. She is particularly interested in the plight of the elderly dealing with the shelter system, working to identify where their needs are not being met and developing recommendations for a better system.
Cynthia has witnessed firsthand the lack of empathy the shelter system has for the elderly, who often have special dietary, medical and mental health needs. Navigating the bureaucracy of the shelter system can be very confusing, and older adults often need more guidance and help acquiring suitable housing, which is in short supply.
Cynthia is the mother of three adult children and has one grandson. She enjoys spending time with family, watching true crime documentaries, and playing video games. She participates in public speaking opportunities whenever possible, as well as spoken word performances and other creative projects, including working on a memoir about her life. You can hear her story onYouTube in “Unsheltered,” a spoken word collaboration with musical accompaniment.
DeAnna Monroe
& Cass Lake, MN
& Cass Lake, MN
Deanna is a National Lived Experience Leadership Advocacy Board (NLEAB) Member, a Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness Lived Experience Implementation Consultant, and a Case Manager for the Leech Lake Housing’s Homeless Resources Program.
Since 2022 Deanna’s professional career has been deeply guided by the conviction that stable, accessible housing is a fundamental human right, a mission rooted in her personal journey of navigating multiple instances of homelessness throughout her life. Having successfully exited homelessness through fierce self-advocacy and finding critical resources within her community, Deanna is a passionate advocate for centering the voices of those with lived experience in all discussions and policy-making efforts.
Deanna’s direct service role in the Leech Lake Reservation provides critical, hands-on support to families, helping them secure and keep housing. Since 2024, she has expanded her focus to the state level, advocating for reduced barriers and more human approaches to ending homelessness.
Starting in 2026, Deanna is excited to serve on the NLEAB as a national advocate for equity, justice, and the power of housing to transform human lives. She seeks to ensure that community voices are central to the board’s priorities and to coordinate the development and sharing of resources that empower individuals with tools for self-advocacy and community resource navigation.
Dr. Catrina Grigsby-Thedford
Catrina is originally from Arkansas and moved to Las Vegas in 2000, where she experienced literal homelessness for 9 years. She received help from local organizations in Las Vegas and started to change her life for the better in 2009. Catrina has 16 years of professional experience working with those experiencing homelessness.
Catrina is a licensed social worker and certified drug and alcohol counselor. She obtained her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Public Administration from UNLV. She received her Doctorate in Public Policy from UNLV in 2023. Catrina Co-Chairs the Southern Nevada Homeless Continuum of Care Programs Committee Working Group, sits on the Governor’s Nevada Interagency Council on Homelessness to Housing, and is a National Coalition for the Homeless Board Member. Catrina is also a Certified Grant Writer, Nevada Licensed Social Worker, Nevada Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor and Counselor Supervisor, and a Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) Supervisor.
As a person with lived experience with homelessness, Catrina is passionate about ending homelessness and is dedicated to collaborating with community partners who are working towards similar goals.
In her free time, she loves to travel and garden (YESSS- in Las Vegas) or just hang out at home with her husband and her dog, King. “I was saved from homelessness to serve the homeless”.
Jae Lange
& Lancaster, PA
& Lancaster, PA
Chief Community Organizer at BASE Foundation | Tri-County YAB Project Coordinator | National Speaker | Facilitator | Advocate
Jae Lange is a mother, artist, community organizer, advocate, and speaker dedicated to advancing equity, dignity, and sustainable solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. As the Chief Community Organizer of the BASE Foundation, Jae works to bridge gaps in community resources, strengthen support systems, and empower communities to move from survival to stability by providing them with resources and connections to community. With lived experience of homelessness, Jae brings both professional expertise and personal insight to their work. They have supported youth and young adults through case management, leadership development, and systems navigation, while also engaging leaders and organizations in transformative conversations around trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and equitable service delivery. Their work centers the voices of people with lived experience, ensuring systems are not only responsive but accountable.
Jae has facilitated workshops, spoken at conferences, and delivered keynotes that not only challenge systems to move beyond performative change and toward meaningful action but also ignite hope in those doing the work. Their approach is rooted in authenticity, relationship-building, and a deep belief in the power of chosen family and community care.
In addition to their organizing and advocacy work, Jae is pursuing a degree in Social Work, continuing to deepen their practice and impact. They are especially passionate about youth empowerment, housing stability, and creating spaces where people are seen, heard, and valued.
Kaimbrea Vance
Kaimbrea Vance is a dedicated professional committed to strengthening community systems and advancing collaborative solutions to address homelessness across Oʻahu. Through her work with Partners in Care Oahu’s CoC, she supports coordination, planning, and engagement efforts that bring together service providers, stakeholders, and community partners.
Kaimbrea’s passion for this work comes from her own personal experience in homelessness and navigating her way through shelter and transitional housing as a single mom. She brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her role. She began her career in the field as an outreach worker, where she helped connect individuals—many of whom had supported her during her own experience—to stable housing and critical resources.
She has experience facilitating meetings, developing outreach and engagement strategies, and supporting data-informed initiatives, including the use of HMIS. Kaimbrea is known for her strong communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to foster meaningful collaboration across diverse groups.
Passionate about equity and community impact, Kaimbrea is committed to ensuring that voice —especially those with lived experience—are centered in planning and decision-making. This commitment led her to establish the Continuum of Care Lived Experience Committee, creating space for authentic community voice and leadership.
Through her work, Kaimbrea strives to improve service delivery, strengthen partnerships, and contribute to a more responsive and effective homeless service system, with a focus on expanding access to truly affordable housing. She is eager to further her impact through engagement with the National Lived Experience Advocacy Board, where she hopes to gain knowledge, strengthen her advocacy skills, and bring back effective strategies to better serve her community.
Michael Moss
Michael Moss is a gifted community advocate and Peer Support Specialist with a deep commitment to serving Athens-Clarke County’s unhoused population. With experience as Client Engagement Specialist for the Advantage BHS Homeless Day Services Center, Site Manager for Modern Pathways to Recovery sober living for men, and Community Engagement Coordinator for the Athens Homeless Coalition in Athens, Georgia, Michael has cultivated lasting relationships with local individuals in need through his outreach efforts and strived to give voice to those with Lived Expertise. He is closely connected with a strong network of contacts within agencies, non-profits, and community organizations, holding the LE seat for the area’s CoC, coordinating a community roundtable discussion platform, co-creating a street newspaper for PLE and much more.
Mileena Kittel-Muhammad
Mileena Kittel-Muhammad was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and has spent her professional career trying to pour back into her community what was once poured into her. Having experienced housing instability throughout her entire childhood and early adulthood, Mileena experienced firsthand the traumas of homelessness.
Mileena received her B.A., B.S., and M.Ed from the University of Washington and has spent the last decade of her career working in nonprofit equity and policy. She is currently the Lived Experience Director of the Homeless Shelter network, Mary’s Place in Seattle, WA.
Mileena wants to share her story on her own terms. She does not want pity or advice or to be told that she was brave or heroic. She is not strong. She is not special. She is one woman who has experienced something countless women have experienced. She is a victim who survived. It could have been much worse. That is what matters and is even more of a travesty because this kind of story is so utterly common. She hopes that by sharing her own story, she can join a chorus of folks who share their stories too, and more people can be appropriately horrified by how much suffering is born of homelessness and sexual violence and how far-reaching the repercussions can be.
Otis Harris Jr.
Otis Harris, Jr. holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and is currently pursuing his Master of Social Work (MSW), with an anticipated graduation in Summer 2027. As a social worker, advocate, consultant, and leader with both professional and lived experience, he is committed to strengthening communities, influencing systems change, and elevating the voices of those most impacted by homelessness, instability, and inequity. Outside of his professional and advocacy work, Otis enjoys mentoring youth, public speaking, faith-based leadership, and spending quality time with his children and family.
He currently serves as a Recovery and Community Integration Specialist, where he works directly with individuals and families to promote wellness, independence, and long-term stability through person-centered support services.
In addition to his professional work, Otis is the Founder of PushedN2Destiny Consulting LLC, a consulting organization focused on youth empowerment, leadership development, and organizational support. Through his consulting work, he develops culturally responsive programming designed to equip youth and families with the tools needed to thrive personally, academically, and socially.
Otis is deeply passionate about advocacy, particularly in the areas of fatherhood, equity, and strengthening underserved communities. His lived and professional experiences—as both a helping professional and active father—have shaped his commitment to ensuring that diverse voices are represented in spaces where decisions are made. Through his service on the National League Experience Advisory Board, Otis seeks to help elevate community voice, inform meaningful systems change, and advocate for equitable solutions that reflect the realities of those directly impacted.
Raymond King
Ray King is a grassroots organizer at heart. Born and raised in Chicago and inspired by the legacies of leaders like Jesse Jackson, he learned early on that real change begins at the community level. That conviction has never left him.
After serving his country and receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army, Ray relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1984, and quickly got to work building the kind of community he believes in. Today, he serves as President of Kent County’s Veteran Action Board and as a voting member of the Steering Council for the COC — roles that put him exactly where he thrives: at the intersection of people, purpose, and action. He’s also semi-retired from working at the Kent County Juvenile Detention.
When Ray isn’t organizing, you’ll find him on the water — boating and fishing — or behind the grill, where he’s built a well-earned reputation as a local grill master.
Timothy Wittenberg
My Name is Timothy Wittenberg. I was born and raised in California in the city of Riverside. I first experienced homelessness in 2024 and have been thoroughly acquainted with the public services of my current residence, the state of Alaska. I love to do art and write stories in my free time, when I get it.
The lessons learned through homelessness, instability, recovery, and resilience are not liabilities – they are assets. They provide insight that no textbook, report, or research study can fully capture. My hope is that our work helps build stronger bridges between communities, systems, and policy so that future generations spend less time navigating barriers and more time building stable, meaningful lives.
-Otis Harris Jr., Madison, WI
Together, the Board members will work to ensure the people most affected by homelessness have a real voice and shared power in creating lasting change.
CONTACT US
(408) 430-2829
OUR PARTNERS
The National Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Board is an initiative led by Destination: Home, in collaboration with Homebase and with support from Hanna Interpreting Services.
KEY PARTNERS
