Design Impact Vol. 2: Straight-Up Talk: Homelessness - Ethics / Policy / Action
Event Overview
Design Impact Vol. 2: Straight-Up Talk: Homelessness - Ethics / Policy / Action, sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council, will be a direct, real-talk dialogue on homelessness in the United States that explores the myriad causes of rising homelessness and innovative solutions to eradicate it. It will consist of 3 distinct panels followed by a summary dialogue. The panels will be prefaced by keynote remarks from Binyamin Appelbaum, lead writer on business and economics for the Editorial Board of The New York Times.
Download event resources here.
Session 1
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Ethics: Is Housing a (Universal) Human Right?
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The first panel, “Ethics: Is Housing a (Universal) Human Right?” will probe the cultural, historical, and socio-political causes of homelessness in the United States, as well as the moral and ethical question of who bears ultimate responsibility for providing housing in this country. ​
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Event Curator: Alice Kimm, FAIA, M.Arch.I ’90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Director, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Event Curator: John Friedman, FAIA, M.Arch.I ‘90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Board Chair, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Session Moderator: Denise Ghartey, Harvard Law ‘20, Justice Catalyst Fellow and Attorney with the Community Justice Project, based in Miami, FL
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Event Keynote: Binyamin Appelbaum, Lead Writer on business and economics for the Editorial Board of The New York Times, based in New York, NY
Speakers Include:
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Binyamin Appelbaum, Lead Writer on business and economics for the Editorial Board of The New York Times, based in Washington, D.C.
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Richard Sennett, Chair, United Nations Habitat Urban Initiatives Group, based in London, U.K.
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Leilani Farha, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing, Global Director of The Shift, based in Toronto, ON
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Michael Lehrer, Founding Partner, Lehrer Architects, based in Los Angeles, CA
Session 2
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Policy: What’s the Problem?
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The second panel, “Policy: What’s the Problem?” will clarify homelessness politics and policy, focusing on how to advance a new national will committed to providing affordable homes for all individuals.
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Event Curator: Alice Kimm, FAIA, M.Arch.I ’90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Director, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Event Curator: John Friedman, FAIA, M.Arch.I ‘90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Board Chair, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Session Moderator: Sam Greenberg AB ‘14, co-founder of Y2Y Network, based in Cambridge, MA
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Session Keynote: Shaun Donovan, AB '87, MArch '95, MPA ’95, NYC Mayoral Candidate, Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Former Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, based in New York, NY
Speakers Include:
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Shaun Donovan, AB '87, MArch '95, MPA ’95, NYC Mayoral Candidate, Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Former Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, based in New York, NY
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Angela Howard, Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Facilities, Covenant House, based in New York, NY
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Hanan Scrapper, Regional Director of PATH San Diego, based in San Diego, CA
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Nithya Raman, Councilmember-elect, LA City Council District 4, based in Los Angeles, CA
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Heidi Marston, Executive Director, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), based in Los Angeles, CA
Session 3
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Action: Accelerating Implementation
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The third panel, “Action: Accelerating Implementation” will explore a range of housing and other innovative solutions designed to help eradicate homelessness in the United States and abroad.
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Event Curator: Alice Kimm, FAIA, M.Arch.I ’90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Director, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Event Curator: John Friedman, FAIA, M.Arch.I ‘90, Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, Board Chair, Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), based in Los Angeles, CA
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Session Moderator: Kofi Akakpo, Co-Chair of Africa GSD, based in Providence, RI
Speakers Include:
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Rosanne Haggerty, Founder of Common Ground Community and Community Solutions, based in New York, NY
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Sam Klein, Co-Founder of Underlay, a project of Knowledge Futures Group, based in Somerville, MA
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Claire Elizabeth Williams, Co-Founder & CEO, Foundations for Social Change, based in Vancouver, B.C.
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Kevin Hirai, Chief Operating Officer of FlyawayHomes, based in Los Angeles, CA
Event Partners
