Unsheltered Conversations

HomeAid
  • 5.0 (3)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, a podcast from HomeAid America where we take an honest look at homelessness and the people, policies, and partnerships working to end it. In each episode, we'll talk with builders, nonprofit leaders, advocates, and those with lived experience to explore the deeper stories that often go untold.

  1. 2D AGO

    Sheryl Palmer: Unsheltered Conversations — Women in Construction Week

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, the podcast from HomeAid America, where we explore real solutions, real partnerships, and real stories behind the work to build a future without homelessness. This podcast is hosted by Scott Larson, CEO of HomeAid America. Today’s episode is a special one recorded in recognition of Women in Construction Week established by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). We’re focusing on leadership, opportunity, and impact and the critical role women play across every level of the building industry. I’m honored to be joined by Sheryl Palmer a nationally respected leader in homebuilding, a champion for innovation and culture in construction, and a valued member of the HomeAid America Board of Directors. Learn more about ⁠HomeAid⁠.

    32 min

  2. FEB 17

    Jackie & Nancy: Biddy Mason — Freedom, Legacy & Home

    In this special Black History Month episode, Scott sits down with Nancy Ackerman and Jackie Broxton to explore the extraordinary life of Biddy Mason. Born into slavery, she courageously secured her freedom, built generational wealth, and became a philanthropist whose legacy continues to inspire. The conversation explores how the partnership between HomeAid, the California Lutheran Homes Foundation, and Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation brought the Biddy Mason House to life, a space that honors that legacy by serving foster youth with dignity and opportunity. Guests: Nancy Ackerman — CEO, California Lutheran Homes FoundationJackie Broxton — Leader, Biddy Mason Charitable FoundationLearn more about HomeAid.

    32 min

  3. FEB 3

    Elizabeth Andrade: Answering the Call — 211, Connection & Community Support

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, where we explore housing and community solutions from the people on the front lines. Today we’re talking about a number many of us have heard but few fully understand—211. 211 is a critical gateway connecting people to resources from food and shelter to health and crisis support. And February 11 is recognized annually as 211 Day, a moment to reflect on the power of connection in service to community. I’m joined by someone I’ve known and admired for many years, Elizabeth Andrade, Executive Director of 211 Orange County. Elizabeth’s work at 211OC and with community partners demonstrates how one call can change the course of a life. Unsheltered Conversations is hosted by Scott Larson, CEO of HomeAid America.

    30 min

  4. JAN 20

    Mandy Crater & Brian Goldstone: There Is No Place for Us — Stories, Homelessness Data, and Housing Solutions

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, the podcast from HomeAid where we dig into the stories, ideas, and systems shaping how we support people experiencing homelessness across the United States. I’m Scott Larson, CEO of HomeAid America. Today we’re honored to be joined by two leaders whose work, in both storytelling and service, deepens our understanding of homelessness in America: Brian Goldstone, journalist and author of the critically acclaimed There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, a book that has landed on multiple Best Books of the Year listsand reshapes how we think about who is counted and who is left out in America’s housing crisis. And Mandy Crater, Executive Director of HomeAid Georgia, whose leadership has helped catalyze multiple housing developments, community partnerships, and initiatives that make dignity and stability possible for families in the Atlanta region.

    52 min

  5. JAN 6

    Matt Bates: Everyone Counts — Understanding the Point In Time Count

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, the podcast from HomeAid where we explore the people, partnerships, and policies shaping solutions to homelessness across the country. Hosted by Scott Larson, CEO of HomeAid America. Today we’re talking about something that happens every January in communities across the nation, the Point In Time Count, an important effort led by local Continuums of Care, coordinated nationally by HUD, and made possible by volunteers and service providers on the ground. Joining me today is Matt Bates, Chief Operating Officer of City Net, one of Southern California’s leading nonprofit partners working to end homelessness through compassionate outreach, housing navigation, and data-driven collaboration. Matt and his team play a critical role in coordinating Everyone Counts Orange County, one of the largest PIT Counts in the country. Links: https://www.everyonecountsoc.orghttps://www.citynet.orghttps://www.hudexchange.info

    44 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    Gina Cunningham & Mike Lennon: Building Forward — 37 Years of HomeAid’s Mission

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, HomeAid America’s podcast where we explore stories of homelessness, hope, and the change we can build together. This special episode revisits HomeAid’s origins in 1989, its national expansion in the 1990s, the personal and professional journeys of its early leaders, and how those foundations shaped the HomeAid of today. The conversation also looks ahead to 2026 and beyond: expansion, evolving needs, and the future of national impact. Featuring: • Scott Larson, CEO, HomeAid America • Mike Lennon, Founding Executive Director of HomeAid Orange County (1989) and CEO of HomeAid America (1995–2006) • Gina Cunningham, Executive Director, HomeAid Orange County | Los Angeles

    37 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    Donald Whitehead: The Longest Night — Remembering Lives Lost & Acting for the Future

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, HomeAid America’s podcast where we explore stories of homelessness, hope, and the change we can build together. In this episode, Scott Larson sits down with Donald Whitehead to explore the origins, meaning, and action-oriented purpose behind Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. The conversation will reflect on how communities across the country commemorate lives lost to homelessness, the role of the building/housing industry in honoring this day, and what can be done to prevent future deaths. The episode aims to shift from mourning to mission and calling the audience to remember and act. https://nationalhomeless.org/homeless-persons-memorial-day/

    32 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    Amber Celmer: Someone You Know — From Foster Youth to Housing Leader

    Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, HomeAid America’s podcast where we explore stories of homelessness, hope, and the change we can build together. In this episode, Amber Celmer shares an extraordinary personal and professional journey: growing up in foster care, surviving trauma and instability, rising into leadership in the building/housing industry, and now directing HomeAid Sacramento toward projects like The Grove cabin community for youth exiting foster care. Listeners will hear how personal experience drives her commitment to dignified housing and gain insight into how building‐industry resources can be marshaled to deliver life-changing results for transitional youth.

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Unsheltered Conversations, a podcast from HomeAid America where we take an honest look at homelessness and the people, policies, and partnerships working to end it. In each episode, we'll talk with builders, nonprofit leaders, advocates, and those with lived experience to explore the deeper stories that often go untold.

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