Jody Rauch came to work at this Coalition after a 20-year career as a nurse. She has brought tenacity, versatility, and above all, wisdom and grace to this Coalition.
When Jody joined this Coalition almost four years ago, she was a relatively involved yet somewhat cynical advocate. She
took action at the national level but didn’t really think her voice mattered.
“Coming to the Coalition has shifted all of that so significantly,” she shared.
Jody is leaving our team in April 2025 as a confident and devoted advocate who knows the power of collective action.
“I feel really heartened to stay engaged and pay attention in a way that I never did before,” she said. “I see a path to something different through the power of advocacy.”
During her time in charge of member services and community engagement for this Coalition, Jody saw advocacy and collective action succeed. She saw this Coalition rally hundreds, sometimes thousands, of individuals around a particular legislative bill, local policy, or budget priority. And she saw things change in the direction those advocates wanted.
“I’ve seen that at every level of government with this Coalition,” she said.
She observed that the Coalition’s approach is to listen to front-line staff and people with personal experience of homelessness, and to cultivate honest relationships with them and with elected officials, service providers, and community members.
“Our relationships are not transactional,” Jody explained.
She has seen leaders in local, state, and federal government recognize this Coalition as a convener, connector, and reliable source of knowledge about what is and isn’t working, and what is needed to advance housing justice for people without homes.
Jody’s journey from dubious to devoted advocate didn’t happen overnight.
“I needed to get over my own self-consciousness about doing it right,” Jody shared. She also needed to learn how to rest, she said, and realize she didn’t need to do it all.
“For deeply personal reasons related to the health of my family, I decided to take a year off work,” she shared.
But the relationships Jody built at this Coalition will keep her inspired and powered as an advocate even after she leaves.
“I don’t feel alone anymore in this work,” Jody shared. “I feel connected to a lot of other people and institutions that are fighting for the same values and investments that I am.”