Gary Akizuki, former CFTH Board President and longtime housing advocate, recently sat down with Council for the Homeless to discuss the growth of the housing and homelessness movement and the future of advocacy in our community.
What are your reflections on the growth of the housing justice movement in our community?
I started attending Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day (HHAD) in the mid-2000s. The CFTH Executive Director and I would go to Olympia for the day, meet with all of Clark County’s legislators, and discuss the issues our community was facing. Over the years, more and more people began joining us. The advocacy in Clark County has expanded so much. We now have a bus full of people who lobby the legislators for HHAD.
The expanding number of advocates shows how the issue of housing and homelessness has caught the attention of people in our community. I credit the work of CFTH and partnering organizations for bringing that to the attention of Clark County residents.
What drives you to remain so committed to advocacy?
I think a lot of people don’t understand how hard and traumatic experiencing homelessness is. They see people living unhoused who may be struggling with behavioral health or substance use, and they don’t realize most of the people began struggling with those issues after they lost their homes. The stress of experiencing homelessness and not knowing what’s coming next takes a toll.
When I started working alongside CFTH, I quickly learned how important it is to have a safe and stable place to call home. Being housed gives people the structure and resources to pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life.
What makes you optimistic about the future of the housing justice movement and advocacy?
The fact that we have so many voices advocating makes me very optimistic about the future. Real people and community members testify and share their stories with our legislators in Olympia.
The many people who step up and say, “The rents are too high, and we need help,” show how much we’re working on providing solutions together. People of all persuasions in our community want to see positive change in housing and homelessness issues.
It’s encouraging to see so many people who want long-term and lasting solutions to homelessness. There’s still so much work to be done, but advocacy is helping us get more funding and resources to do so. We have to find a way to get people into housing so they can start rebuilding their lives.
What makes you optimistic about CFTH’s role in the housing justice movement?
CFTH has built an excellent track record over the years in being an effective leader in advocacy in our community. I know CFTH will continue to be a pillar of leadership, advocacy, and solutions in the future.
In Clark County, we truly have many partners working together on housing and homelessness resources. When we work together, we can provide solutions more efficiently. Our community should be very proud of the collaboration and advocacy that’s happening. When we can get people housed, our whole community succeeds.
Thank you Gary!
If you’d like to see what kind of advocacy work we’re doing, or want to get involved yourself, check out our Advocacy page.
