Sarah Dusseault – How to solve the homelessness crisis

The Nick Halaris Show

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring my friend Sarah Dusseault, a prominent local civic activist and the lead strategist at LA4LA, a first-of-its-kind government, philanthropy and private sector alliance formed to unlock affordable housing options in Los Angeles at scale and speed. She’s also my colleague at the Angeleno Project and one of the most dedicated, passionate, and professional civic activists I’ve ever come across.

I wanted to have Sarah on the show to shine a big spotlight on all the important work she’s doing in the region and to get her insider perspective on some of the big issues we’ve been covering here like the housing affordability crisis, homelessness, and the substance abuse and mental health crises. As someone with decades of experience in policy and activism, who has worked in and out of government at the highest levels, and served on a bunch of high-profile commissions, I knew Sarah would have a lot to share. Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn:

• Why innovation is urgently needed to spur affordable housing production and how LA4LA’s unique alliance can make a difference
• Why Los Angeles has struggled to develop a cohesive civic identity and its implications on city politics and functioning
• Why dramatic improvements in access to care for mental health and substance abuse services is crucial to solving the homelessness crisis
• How a holistic approach that prioritizes early intervention, community building, and peer-driven resources can dramatically improve outcomes with mental health and substance abuse
• & Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to learn the redemptive story of Sarah’s decades-long struggle to help her own brother, who has struggled with mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness, and hear how it has inspired her impressive track record of community work and still fuels her passionate commitment to making Los Angeles a better place for everyone today.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in!

Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you