Housing and homelessness is a visible and divisive issue in local media, in politics, and across different communities within our state. Many of us were experiencing housing instability and economic uncertainty even during the “boom” times before the current crisis. This conversation will explore common assumptions and perspectives about the experience of houselessness/homelessness and seek to answer the question, How do we decide who “belongs” in our community?

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Paul Susi is a theater artist, social services professional, educator, and community activist born and raised in Portland. From 2015 to 2020, Paul worked as a lead shelter host, shift supervisor, and ultimately manager for six successive Transition Projects shelters, specializing in opening and establishing best practices for new emergency homeless shelters throughout the Portland area. In March of 2018, Paul was recognized as a RACC Juice Award honoree for outstanding contributions to the performing arts community. In the fall of 2018 and again in 2019, Paul toured a production of Denis O’Hare’s An Iliad to more than twenty different prisons, schools, community centers, and religious communities—the first time a touring performance succeeded in knitting together these unique constituencies throughout this state. Paul currently works as a site supervisor for the Outdoor School with the Multnomah Education Service District, where he goes by the camp name “Badger.”