About a dozen conversation partners joined the discussion with probing questions and perspectives, leading to a lively, engaging evening. At one point, Schneider shared a heart-warming story of a long-term homeless person who also suffered from amnesia and was notably resistant to repeated offers of assistance and services.

The story took a redemptive turn when, after many years, this person gradually began regaining their memory and reaching out for help. Those faint recollections lead to clues that allowed for family members to finally be located in a faraway city, family members who had been searching for years for their missing relative. Stories like these are the kind that inspire and encourage Schneider as she confronts the significant challenges of the issue.

Schneider offered an optimistic outlook, sharing success stories and insights on more effective practices. A simple example was to contrast the relatively modest cost of housing subsidies against the often-exorbitant cost of a single emergency room visit, and other examples of the common but ineffective resource allocation outcomes that unexamined policies can create.

Schneider signed off after an engaging two-hour conversation, and the group continued its deep discussion for an additional hour.

Helene Schneider is the former mayor of Santa Barbara, California and currently the Regional Coordinator for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.