H – homelessness
E – empathy
A – awareness
R – resilience
T – transformation
We hope you’ll join us for our first in a series of conversations with SCU alums working in response to the housing and homelessness crisis. On November 12th at Noon, Armand Domalewski, ’12, joins us to discuss his work in the YIMBY movement. Attendees are encouraged to listen to episode one of the podcast, “Everyone Gets Pie” prior to the discussion.
Click on the image below to register!
In partnership with the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center and Destination: Home SV, the UI is thrilled to announce the official launch of a new legal services practice focused on the criminalization of homelessness in Santa Clara County.
Led by Clinical Supervising Attorney, Brie Frank Mendoza, the Unhoused Advocacy Practice assists clients with legal matters stemming from their experience of homelessness – citations for quality of life crimes, property claims after encampment sweeps, and vehicle tow cases.
A KGACLC Interviewing & Advising course supports the practice. The students and Prof. Mendoza meet with clients in the community to provide advice and information and screen for full representation. Senior Public Health Capstone students will also contribute to the clinic’s work, assisting clients with claims for property lost during encampment sweeps and studying the impact of sweeps on encampment residents’ health and wellbeing.
If you’d like to learn more about the Unhoused Advocacy practice or are interested in volunteering, please email: unhousedinitiative@scu.edu!
After an overwhelming response to an invitation to join the leadership team, the UI welcomed seven new members this summer!
Joining the cohort are:
Along with this exciting growth, the UI leadership structure expanded to include three committees, each with its own focus on one of the UI’s priority areas: campus engagement, community engagement, and overall vision and impact. You can find more information about our new team members on faculty page.
Watch for upcoming details about these events and projects …
In June, David DeCosse, UI Faculty member and Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Director of Religious & Catholic Ethics, received the Spirit of Ignatius Award. The Award recognizes SCU faculty and staff who make an impact on others through selfless acts of humanitarianism.
The Award celebrates David’s commitment to social justice and generosity with his own time in service. During school breaks, you will often find David volunteering with the Los Angeles Catholic Worker on Skid Row, serving unhoused Angelenos and being in community with them. David also rises early on the weekend to deliver hot meals to encampments in partnership with the non-profit, Bread & Roses. Congratulations, David, on your well-deserved recognition!
Articles, podcasts and news stories related to the homelessness crisis publish nearly every day. Below are recent stories that we recommend.
Do you have questions about the rights that people experiencing homelessness have to their property before, during and after an encampment sweep? Check out the info sheet from the Unhoused Advocacy clinic to learn more.
In partnership with Destination: Home SV and the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, the Unhoused Initiative is excited to announce a new legal services practice at SCU Law – The Unhoused Advocacy Clinic.
Serving clients with legal matters stemming from their experience of homelessness, the Unhoused Advocacy Clinic is responding to the criminalization of homelessness in Silicon Valley through direct client services. Law students staff a biweekly advice and counsel clinic and a Supervising Attorney provides direct representation.
Legal matters addressed by the clinic include: property claims after encampment sweeps, citations or infractions, court fines and fees, record clearance and vehicle tow matters. If you or someone you know may benefit from services, please see the flyer below for more information.
Last Thursday, the UI hosted its second annual Works in Progress event, showcasing this year’s faculty and student research. Presenters included Senior Public Health Capstone students and UI Faculty Research Grant Awardees CJ Gabbe, Naomi Levy, Dosun Ko and Bill Sundstrom.
This year, researchers focused on a variety of topics, including: stigma reduction through oral histories, health impacts of encampment sweeps, educational outcomes for unhoused youth, client satisfaction at homeless service organizations, heat impacts on unhoused communities, and law enforcement utilization at permanent supportive housing sites.
A full recording of the event is available here.
Each year, the Center for Social Justice and Public Service at SCU’s School of Law awards the Nancy Wright Social Justice Award in memory of Professor Nancy Wright. Nancy, in partnership with her husband, Professor Eric Wright, led the way in social justice work at Santa Clara Law and inspired generations of students to work for justice. The Award is given to members of the Santa Clara Law community for commendable work in furtherance of social justice and public service. UI faculty, Michelle Oberman and Marlene Bennett, are honored to receive the 2025 Nancy Wright Social Justice Award.
Ms. Bennett joined the Center for Social Justice’s Public Interest and Social Justice Graduation Ceremony on May 22nd to receive the award on behalf of the Unhoused Initiative. The UI is grateful to the Center for Social Justice and Public Service, Prof. Eric Wright, Prof. Vangie Abriel, and Dean Michael Kaufman for selecting us to receive this award in honor of Nancy. We also commend Santa Clara Law for its commitment to upholding the dignity and humanity of our unhoused neighbors.
On Saturday, May 17th, Unhoused Initiative Research Assistants, Sarah El Qadah and Iman Badr presented at SCU’s Alumni Science Conference which features student research and experiential learning projects. Both Senior Public Health Sciences majors, Iman and Sarah submitted UI-partnered projects for conference consideration.
Iman’s project, “Addressing Stigma against People Experiencing Homelessness at SCU: A Collaboration between the Unhoused Initiative and Public Health Capstone Students” discussed the UI’s stigma-reduction research and media campaign.
Sarah’s project “The Impact of Strategic Communication and Shifting Attitudes Surrounding Unhoused Individuals: A Student-Facing Anti-Stigma Campaign” highlighted her strategies for engaging students and increasing their interest in and awareness of the local response to homelessness through social media, interactive events and calls to action.
Sarah and Iman will both graduate this spring. They have been instrumental in moving the UI’s student-facing projects forward and we are so proud of their achievements!
Scroll down to see the posters submitted to the conference by Iman and Sarah.
Click the flyer or scan the QR Code to register!
The Unhoused Initiative at SCU 