San Jose Hosted Lived Experience Leadership Conference
The three-day event gathered individuals with direct experience of homelessness to advise policymakers on local solutions.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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Should people with lived experience have a direct role in shaping local homelessness policy?
The Lived Experience Leadership Conference recently concluded at the San Jose Marriott Hotel. Attendees from across the country participated in the three-day event, sharing personal accounts to influence national homelessness policy.
Why it matters
The conference aims to reform homelessness policy by ensuring that those with direct lived experience provide essential insights to policymakers. This approach seeks to incorporate authentic perspectives into the development of more effective support systems.
The conference spanned 3 days of intensive policy workshops and presentations. Participants included people with lived experience of homelessness, such as William Goodwin, who previously experienced 7 years of homelessness.
The players
Lived Experience Advisory Board
This organization facilitates collaboration between people who have experienced homelessness and government agencies.
William Goodwin
A conference attendee who spent 7 years experiencing homelessness and now contributes to policy discussions.
Jackie Owens
An artist who has moved 50 times in her life and presented her creative work at the conference showcase.
The details
Participants presented personal accounts to policymakers to better inform local and national strategy. The event also featured an art showcase, where contributors like Jackie Owens displayed creative works including sculptures to represent themes of homelessness and hope.
Timeline
The three-day conference occurred in September 2026.
Artists showcased their work during an event held on Tuesday night.
Political Context
The conference follows a pattern of increased stakeholder engagement established by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Critics of this model often argue that anecdotal evidence from lived experience should not supersede data-driven, long-term economic studies when crafting city budgets.
Residents may see an increase in local advocacy efforts as participants take insights from the conference back to their home districts. These discussions could influence future San Jose city infrastructure projects and community resource allocation.
The takeaway
Engaging people with direct experience is increasingly viewed as a vital step in creating empathetic and functional social programs. Interested citizens can monitor the progress of new initiatives through resources like The Homeless Advocate magazine.
Further reading
For more on how local initiatives influence public policy, visit the Civic Engagement section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
Live Poll
Should people with lived experience have a direct role in shaping local homelessness policy?
