Kaiser Permanente, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Host Fourth Annual Regional Homelessness Forum

Kaiser Permanente, in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), hosted the fourth annual and first in-person Regional Homelessness Forum on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health. This year's forum marked a critical step forward in addressing housing insecurity and burnout within the workforce that supports unhoused populations across the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore regions.

The forum brought together more than 90 leaders and experts in affordable housing, self-care, well-being, harm reduction, local government, and more to share best practices around issues facing unhoused populations and the professionals who are working to address this issue. Discussions focused on burnout and compassion fatigue, regional collaboration, and the critical role of data sharing in addressing homelessness.

"At Kaiser Permanente, we know that access to stable, affordable housing is foundational to good health and that addressing homelessness requires cross-sectional collaboration. We are fortunate to have incredible partners, including our co-host, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and many of you in this room today," said George Leventhal, PhD, director, Community Health, Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic. "We hope that today's forum is an opportunity not only to learn and share best practices, but also to uplift and motivate one another as we continue this challenging but important work."

Keynote speaker Rajni Shankar-Brown, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Catalyzing Equity, Justice, and Social Change, delivered an inspiring address titled "Connective Roots: Wellbeing and Housing Justice," emphasizing the intersection of public health and housing policy as critical elements in addressing homelessness in the region. She urged attendees to prioritize self-care so that they are able to continuing pursuing housing justice.

The event also featured interactive panels on burnout and compassion fatigue and regional collaboration, with insights from experts including Rachelle Ellison, Assistant Director of the People for Fairness Coalition; Christy Respress, President and CEO of Pathways to Housing D.C.; K. Patricia Prather, Certified Peer Specialist and Harm Reduction Coordinator with the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless; Hilary Chapman, Housing Program Manager at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; John Gauthier, Project Manager at Community Solutions; and Andriea Ukrop, Data Integration Manager at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

"In 2021, the COG Board passed a Resolution creating a Regional Compact to End Homelessness. This was because we recognized that no single sector can solve homelessness on its own, and no one jurisdiction can end homelessness on its own. There are larger, systemic issues impacting us all. Forums like today's allow regional leaders to identify, and then work together to remove, the barriers to housing faced by residents in each of our communities," said Fairfax County Supervisor and COG Board Vice Chair Rodney Lusk.

This year's event underscored the power of regional collaboration in addressing homelessness, reinforcing the shared responsibility of public, private, and nonprofit sectors to tackle this complex challenge.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

About the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is an independent, nonprofit association that brings area leaders together to address major regional issues in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. COG's membership is comprised of 300 elected officials from local governments, the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, and U.S. Congress.