Through a central campus initiative that was the brainchild of Sam Davis–UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus of Architecture and special advisor on homelessness to (then) Chancellor Carol Christ, Unhoused Outreach Coordinator Ari Neulight officially assumed his role in July 2017. His direct service role includes the significant challenge of supporting the unhoused population on and around the UC-Berkeley campus by connecting them to needed services and resources. Other aspects of this position include teaching and training students, working on research and evaluation, helping the campus with policies, procedures, and projects, and partnering with community organizations, government partners, and neighbors all to address houselessness. While initially housed in Berkeley Social Welfare, the position moved to the Vice Chancellor of Administration's office in July 2024.
With 14 years of experience working in supportive housing in San Francisco's Mission and Tenderloin Districts–and now 7+ years in this role–Neulight is keenly aware of where efforts and approaches should be directed in dealing with an issue as large as homelessness. "Homelessness is a hard, intractable thing where change isn't always visible," he says. "But it doesn't mean that things aren't happening with individuals and communities in small, valuable ways over time. And those add up. That's what I focus on."
Neulight spoke with Berkeley Social Welfare about his day-to-day duties in May 2018 around managing the numerous community partnerships among the campus, city, first responders and local agencies; and how Berkeley students are contributing to the work being done in the community. In an effort to provide a framework of what this work currently entails, the following is an updated version of that interview.
Describe your work as an unhoused outreach coordinator.
I think of my job in three parts. The first is neighborhood-based, direct-service, unhoused outreach and linkage through being a consistent, visible presence. I try to build trust and in doing this, bridge folks to other teams and services. When doing this work well, I eventually become more of a “safety net” and “cheerleader” as the newer team develops around/alongside a person and they move towards more stability and safety. I do this work alongside many community partners, such as BACS, Village of Love, Insight Housing, the City of Berkeley Neighborhood Services, and Dorothy Day House, just to name a few. Among student groups, I work most with the Suitcase Clinic (a voluntary student organization offering free health and social services).
The second piece is serving as a liaison for the University with a range of partners, such as the city, county, churches and the Business Improvement District. I work with them in figuring out ways for the University to be a better and deeper partner in our collaborations. More recently, I have been helping develop and implement the Unhoused Campus Response Team and launching a new Southside Service Collaborators Group.
The last part is working with students, projects and research on houselessness. I have worked with students and faculty on research and evaluation around People’s Park and encampment resolution, as well as the impacts of the carceral system on local housing access. This position has also involved delivering lectures and working with faculty across departments, as well as providing training to student and community groups.
How are you working with local police and other first responders on homeless outreach?
Similar to other community partners, I meet with Berkeley Police and UC Police Department (UCPD) staff to look for ways to work together to support the community. One thing that's been great is that UCPD will get in touch when they come across people who could benefit from my help. I want to be a resource and to give the police (and, of course, community members) another tool. When they see someone who needs a blanket or needs a place to go, they know they can call or text me or provide a resource card on where to get help. More recently, UCPD dispatch calls me to offer help to unhoused community members sleeping on campus.
How are you working with UC Berkeley students on issues to houselessness?
Many students find me through the Suitcase Clinic. People also get directed to me in other ways. I have had many MSW students do internships with me and have had other graduate students working alongside me from across campus. More recently, I have partnered with the university’s College Corps program to support undergraduate students. I have likewise done trainings and lectures across campus and across departments–such as the law school, public health, EECS, and social welfare. While I was housed in the School of Social Welfare, I worked most closely with students through research and the classroom to help bring their learning to life–whether through simulated and field learning or bringing in folks with lived experiences.
How did you become involved in homeless support?
I've always done social services. When I was 13 I went to a summer camp that was about teaching values of community, social justice, and service. That, more than anything, launched my path. I ended up getting interested in psychology and earned an MS degree. I eventually started doing community organizing, working for ACORN in San Francisco. I next took a job at an SRO doing tenant organizing, when a social worker position opened up. The supervisor for that position said I would be great because of my focused mental health training, social justice values, and concern for the community. I then worked in supportive housing for the next 9 years, during which I decided to get my MSW degree (and then my LCSW). With this position, I have shifted to helping people outside to come in (instead of greeting them on their way “home” and then building from there).
So social work, it seems, found you.
It holds all of what I wanted to do. I could center my macro social justice values while being on the ground figuring ways to make things work for folks and their most immediate needs. And I can move between all the things I love: direct service, teaching/training, research, community organizing, and policy and program development. I feel lucky to have found my professional “home” to live out my values (and to do it here at UC Berkeley, where I found a sort of “home” many years ago).