From the Margins to the Center: Why I’m Focusing on Homelessness and Public Policy

When I tell people I’m pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration, they usually ask, “What will you focus on?” My answer is simple, and deeply personal: homelessness.

This isn’t just an academic interest—it’s something I’ve lived close to. Years ago, following my divorce, I experienced a kind of economic and emotional displacement that gave me insight into what it means to live on the edge. I wasn’t sleeping on sidewalks, but I knew what it felt like to be unsure where stability would come from next.

That experience never left me. And now, with a new chapter of learning ahead, I’m committing my work to a central, urgent goal: understanding and improving the systems that fail—and could one day serve—the unhoused.

I’ll be using this blog to:

• Share insights from my coursework and research
• Explore policy models and real-world case studies
• Reflect on the social, emotional, and systemic weight of homelessness
• Listen to and amplify voices that have lived the experience firsthand

There will be moments where urban planning, economics, or social services intersect with these conversations—and I welcome that complexity. But I’m keeping the needle pointed toward one thing: How can we do better by those without a home?

If you’ve been there, are there, or want to be part of the solution—I hope you’ll walk with me.