35 Years of Uplifting Voices: The HEAL Network and the Power of Lived Experience

For 35 years, the San Diego Housing Federation has worked to ensure that everyone in our region has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. One of the most transformative programs advancing this mission is the Homeless-Experienced Advocacy & Leadership (HEAL) Network, which empowers people with lived experience of homelessness to lead, advocate, and shape housing policy across San Diego County.

A Program Built on Experience and Leadership

The HEAL Network was launched in April 2019 with its first two cohorts in North County and Central San Diego. Since then, HEAL’s leadership trainings have been held annually, expanding into monthly meetings and advocacy activities. What began as two pilot cohorts has grown into a countywide network of advocates working together to drive change in housing and homelessness policy.

Homelessness policy has too often lacked the voices of those directly impacted. HEAL was created to elevate humanity, shift harmful narratives, and ensure that solutions are guided by people with lived experience.

By reducing barriers—through stipends, meals, childcare, and transportation—HEAL empowers participants to engage fully in advocacy and leadership. The program provides leadership training, advocacy skills, and direct opportunities for participants to engage with policymakers and influence decisions that affect their lives and communities.

Goals and Growth

HEAL’s goals have remained consistent: to train leaders to effectively tell their stories, provide ongoing advocacy opportunities, and influence housing and homelessness policy. Over the years, the program has evolved to include hybrid trainings, monthly convenings, and the establishment of a Policy Coordinating Committee—a group of seven HEAL leaders who set the program’s advocacy priorities.

From its two pilot sites, HEAL has expanded into East County. Today, the network includes 95 members, including 10 new graduates from this year’s cohort. The program continues to grow through alumni engagement and sustained leadership pathways that strengthen the movement for housing justice across the region.

Milestones and Impact

HEAL’s successes are visible across San Diego. Participants have delivered powerful testimonies before the County Board of Supervisors, presented at the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, and directly engaged with policymakers such as Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. HEAL leaders have also partnered with statewide networks including Housing California, CSH, and Residents United Network (RUN), gaining recognition as trusted voices in housing advocacy.

Participants gain confidence, develop skills in public speaking and storytelling, and become visible leaders in their communities. Their advocacy helps shape policies that are more compassionate, equitable, and reflective of real-life experiences.

Uplifting Voices for Change

HEAL embodies SDHF’s mission by expanding knowledge, capacity, and influence across the housing sector, ensuring that people directly impacted by homelessness are active participants in shaping housing solutions.

Donations to HEAL fund the critical supports that make this work possible. Every contribution helps ensure that those most affected by homelessness can continue leading the movement to end it.

Beyond donating, community members can get involved by inviting HEAL leaders to testify or present, providing meeting space or food, partnering on research and policy efforts, and amplifying HEAL’s stories and advocacy campaigns.

As SDHF celebrates 35 years of advocacy, leadership, and impact, the HEAL Network stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when lived experience leads the way. Together, we can continue to lift voices, remove barriers, and shape a more just and compassionate housing future for all.