Faith, Trauma, and Leadership: Leading San Diego’s Homelessness Response
This podcast is sponsored by BitFocus, the smarter way to manage homeless services. To learn more, visit https://bitfocus.com/invisiblepeople
Tamera Kohler leads one of the most complex homelessness responses in America — San Diego’s. In this episode, she opens up about how faith, trauma, and leadership shaped her journey from growing up in poverty to becoming CEO of the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness. Tamera reveals what the data really shows, the hard truths about why homelessness is rising, and the solutions that actually work.
This is a rare, honest look at what it takes to lead through crisis — and how courage, compassion, and evidence can guide us toward real change.
More:
This Woman's Final Day of Homelessness Will Move You • This Woman's Final Day of Homelessness Wil...
Homeless Hunger Games: Shelters, Soundbites, and a Sector at Breaking Point • Homeless Hunger Games: Shelters, Soundbite...
Why Veteran Homelessness Fell and Latino Homelessness Increased • Why Veteran Homelessness Fell and Latino H...
Executive producer: Mark Horvath
Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway / alexgasaway
Associate producer: Erin McGinnis
Created by: Alex Gasaway and Erin McGinnis
YouTube Podcast https://shorturl.at/XciIu
Apple Podcast https://apple.co/4cckQ86
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3XyM98c
00:00 — Open: Trauma, Poverty & Systems Trapping People
01:02 — Sponsor: Bit Focus (HMIS for homeless services)
01:25 — Episode Setup: Tamara Kohler & San Diego’s Homelessness Response
02:12 — Why Their Conference Stays Affordable for Frontline Workers
03:31 — Sponsorship ROI & Funding the Event
04:03 — Curtis Howard Connection via Invisible People
05:26 — Utah Years: Lloyd Pendleton, Momentum & Gender Bias in Leadership
07:06 — LDS Church’s Culture of Service & Early Housing First Support
10:28 — BitFocus Sponsor
11:12 — Growing Up in Poverty: How Trauma Shaped Tamara’s Mission
13:18 — Data Dashboard 101: First-Time Homeless vs. Housing Exits
14:44 — Military City Paradox: Rental Stock Taken by Active Duty
15:27 — What “Overprescribed” Systems Mean in Homeless Services
16:06 — San Diego Trends: What Changed in 7 Years
16:31 — Seniors on the Rise: Utilities Burden, RVs & Vehicle Living
17:26 — Policy Swings: Shelters, Housing, and Criminalization Debates
18:01 — Pandemic Case Study: Convention Center “Shelter to Home” Success
19:56 — County Politics: 18 Jurisdictions & the Chessboard Analogy
20:52 — Shelter Strategy: Avoid Short-Term Pop-Ups; Build Consistency
21:03 — Leading Through Ego & Criticism: Navigating Stakeholders
22:31 — Give Away the Credit: Progress Over Personal Spotlight
24:04 — Advice to Nonprofit Leaders: Use Today’s Language, Not Yesterday’s
Network connection lost. Attempting to reconnect…
==================================
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/invisiblepe...
Invisible People’s website: http://invisiblepeople.tv
Support Invisible People: https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate
Sign up for our newsletter: https://invisiblepeople.tv/email
Invisible People’s Social Media:
/ invisiblepeople
/ invisiblepeople
/ invisiblepeople
/ invisiblepeopletv
/ invisiblepeopletv
About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.