We the Unhoused

Theo interviews Fred Vars, author of Through the Fire: How People with Mental Illness Are Empowering Each Other on the intersection of houselessness and mental illness, and how failures at city, state, and federal levels to put housing first makes it more difficult than ever to be unhoused in the U.S. Also: an upcoming screening at Crushing Wheelchairs, a film with an unhoused cast and crew, and the long-term consequences...

Theo attends an action opposing the continuing sweeps in DSA-endorsed candidate Hugo Soto-Martinez's district; then, he speaks with author and activist Nicole Lynn Lewis, who speaks on her own experience as a houseless student and parent, and on her latest book Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College.

Order Nicole's book here: https://www.beacon.org/Student-Parent-P2452.aspx

Le...

This week, Theo speaks with activist Kris of LA Street Care and Mutual Aid about the state of mutual aid, and how we can all rise to the occasion in a moment where most systems have turned their back on the unhoused. In Unhoused News, we take a closer look at the consequences of the brutal new HUD policies, and the drastic increase of the elderly unhoused.

Follow LA Street Care and Mutual Aid: https://www.instagram.com/lastreetcare...

The upcoming election in Los Angeles gives officials an opportunity to do right by the unhoused community and invest in real, structural solutions. So, who's stepping up? This week, Theo interviews two candidates on their plan to make Los Angeles a safe and equitable place for all as the Olympics loom over the city -- Aida Ashouri for City Attorney, and Reverend Rae Huang for the mayorship.

We the Unhoused is nominated for a We...

This week, Theo speaks with legendary historian, memoirist and educator W. Ralph Eubanks about his new book When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land. Also, Theo heads to an El Monte action to learn how locals are fighting to make their home a sanctuary city for residents under attack from ICE.

Buy Ralph's book here: 

https://www.beacon.org/When-Its-Darkness-on-the-Delta-P224...

This week, Theo attends a mutual aid protest action demanding that DSA-endorsed Los Angeles city councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez finally repeal 41.18, legislation that enables the LAPFD to arrest the unhoused, from his district. Speaking with organizers like Gina Viola, the group speaks with Soto-Martinez directly and detail their demands to get rid of 41.18 for good.

Also: Theo interviews disabled unhoused veteran George Flei...

As SNAP benefits continue to be rolled back and the Trump regime makes food access for the unhoused harder than ever, we need community-based solutions and ingenuity.Enter Arnali Ray of Hollywood Food Coalition and Sara Reyes of SELAH in Northeast LA -- Theo speaks with them about how their organizations are rising to the occasion by prioritizing collaboration, ensuring unhoused people receive holistic care across mutual aid and no...

Everyone deserves animal companionship, but the unhoused community is too often forced to make difficult decisions to care for their pets while living in shelters or on the street. This week, Theo speaks with Jillian and Christine with nonprofit My Dog Is My Home about their important work advocating for the unhoused and their pets, from accessible veterinary care to advocacy work to allow pets in shelter systems. Also: Theo rememb...

Theo rings in the new year by spotlighting another crucial, underreported segment of the unhoused — the Black unhoused community. We speak with Angela, Ted, and Jeremiah of the Los Angeles Black Worker Center about the crucial work, they’re doing to support Black Angelinos in not just job training and help finding housing, but political education. 

Learn more about LABWC here: 

https://linktr.ee/Labwc?utm_...

This week, Theo is in the field with Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid (PUMA) for their National Houseless Persons’ Memorial Day event. Organizers and neighbors gathered on December 21st, 2025, the longest night of the year, to memorialize those we lost. We also remember Cindy McAllister, Jessica 'Queen' Mendez, and Benito Flores.

Follow Palms Unhoused Mutual Aid here: 

https://www.instagram.com/palmsunhousedmutualaid/

See...

To close out 2025, Theo speaks with Sam Luu and Hillary Cohen of Every Day Action. We learn how they scaled their pandemic-era mutual aid effort to feed the unhoused to where they are today, continuing that work by preventing food waste on film sets and helping out-of-work film industry professionals during the ongoing labor crisis. 

Learn more about Every Day Action here: 

https://www.youreverydayaction.org/

See omnys...

This week, Theo speaks with Professor Dina Gilio-Whitaker, author of the new book Who Gets to Be Indian? Ethnic Fraud, Disenrollment, and Other Difficult Conversations about Native American Identity. We also take a look at the new ghoulish policies that stand to force people into houselessness in the new year, and revisit the story of Brendan Glenn, an unhoused man killed by an LAPD officer ten years ago.

Buy Dina's b...

Longtime guest Caitlin Krenn returns to We the Unhoused to tell Theo about the upcoming documentary Outcast Nation: LGBTQIA. Homeless. Unseen. on PBS, along with collaborators and subjects Jen Liquori, Maddox Guerilla, and director Charlie Spickler.

Watch the documentary here starting December 6th or on your local PBS affiliate!

https://www.pbs.org/show/outcast-nation-lgbtqia-homeless-unseen-in-new-york-city/ 

This week, Theo speaks with legendary activist and writer Dr. Gloria Browne-Marshall, author of the new book A Protest History of the United States. Dr. Browne-Marshall discusses the most effective ways to protest in the modern age, and what we can learn from the long tradition of sit-ins, street protests, and boycotts that have empowered people for centuries. Also, Theo returns to JTown Action and Solidarity in Los ...

This week, Theo heads to a protest organized by the unhoused residents of the Mountain View encampment after yet another violent sweep. Their question: why isn’t their DSA-endorsed councilperson, Eunisses Hernandez, showing up? Residents, organizers, and mutual aid workers share their perspectives. 

If you’re in LA and lost your SNAP benefits: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQP-y08EsjT/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Fol...

School is in session! This week, Theo speaks with Felicia Rangel-Samponaro of the Sidewalk School, an organization that provides services from food and necessities to policy advocacy to education to unhoused immigrants living on the Mexican border. Felicia's journey to this crucial work, and how the Sidewalk School has had to adapt to protect their participants during increased ICE kidnappings and violence, is not one to be missed.