In this inspiring conversation, Doing What Works host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins speaks with Patricia Kusaba, a graduate of Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program. Patricia shares her deeply personal journey—from hidden homelessness and recovery to finding empowerment and purpose through education. She reflects on the support, skills, and community she gained in the program, the living resource toolkit she’s helping to build, and why she believes training programs like this are essential in addressing homelessness with humanity and lasting impact.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
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The Reality of Hidden Homelessness – how people can experience homelessness without fitting common stereotypes, and why awareness matters.
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The Role of Education in Recovery and Career Building – how Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program provides skills, confidence, and professional pathways.
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The Power of Community and Peer Support – how classmates, instructors, and program staff foster an environment of encouragement and shared growth.
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The Importance of Lived Experience in Homeless Services – how personal history can strengthen empathy, credibility, and effectiveness in the field.
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Actionable Ways to Help – from building a living resource toolkit to understanding prevention strategies and available services.
About Our Guest
Patricia Kusaba is a graduate of Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program whose personal journey from hidden homelessness to stability has fueled her passion for helping others. A UC Berkeley alum with a professional background in Silicon Valley, Patricia experienced a period of housing instability during the COVID-19 pandemic that reshaped her life and career goals. Through recovery, mental health support, and the SMC program, she gained the skills, resources, and confidence to serve her community. Today, she continues to volunteer in the field, contribute to a living resource toolkit, and advocate for compassionate, effective approaches to ending homelessness.
Impactful Quotes
"Many people are just a crisis or a tragedy away from being homeless."
"I didn’t even realize I was homeless until I became healthier and was placed in stable housing."
— Patricia Kusaba
"The program solved a long-held problem I had—figuring out how I could help the people I see on the streets."
"Now I have resources and I know exactly how I can help, and that gives me a sense of empowerment and humanity."
"This generation and this world needs more understanding—it needs to teach humanity in whatever field a student is in."
