Homelessness-Experienced Action Research Training (HEART) Fellowship

Research justice and democracy are foundational to our work at Homelessness Hub. People with lived experience of homelessness should not only be consulted during the research process, they should be part of it, and should be fairly compensated for their contributions.

HEART Fellows participate in all aspects of projects on which they are involved, including developing effective research questions, designing studies, conducting surveys and interviews, and analyzing data. They receive training on research methods and research dissemination through writing and presentations. Their involvement has enriched the quality of our research and provided Fellows with new skills, knowledge, and opportunities. 

Homelessness-Experienced Action Research Training (HEART) Fellows

Amelia Broadnax

Cassandra Ellis

Dennis Larkin

Cindy Moser

Frank Kensaku Saragosa

Kuni Stearns

Chelees Turner

Jenna Rose

Calvin Neal

Building on Earlier Lived-Experience Research Models

The HEART Fellowship built on earlier collaborative research conducted by the Homelessness Hub with members of the Homeless-Experienced Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) Network.

In November 2023, Homelessness Hub published a report examining the needs of people experiencing homelessness and service providers in San Diego. The project was a collaboration between Dr. Stacey Livingstone and four HEAL Network members, Amelia Broadnax, DeForrest Hancock, Dennis Larkin, Kuni Stearns, and helped inform the Hub's continued commitment to research partnerships with people with lived experiences of homelessness.

Read the HEAL research report here.

Learn More

Watch our HEART Fellowship Webinar above to find out what we learned in our first year of the research justice and democracy fellowship, including what this model should ideally look like, benefits of the model, and obstacles to its implementation!