Brooke Schipporeit joined the National Low-Income Housing Coalition as an housing advocacy organizer in January 2019. She comes to NLIHC from Nebraska by way of Philadelphia, PA, where she spent the last few years supporting state and local coalitions in their efforts to achieve solutions to housing poverty. Specifically, she worked as an MSW intern with the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, informing and mobilizing coalition members to advance equitable housing policy. Then she worked as Philadelphia’s regional housing coordinator for the Self-Determination Housing Project of Pennsylvania, focusing on expanding affordable and accessible housing options for people with disabilities and older adults. Prior to beginning her career in affordable housing, Brooke spent time working in direct services in Nebraska for both the Head Start program and a domestic violence shelter. Brooke earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Marqueia Watson is the Acting Executive Director and the Director of Programs at The Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, home to one of the largest year-round homeless populations in the U.S., she recalls from childhood feeling a sense of moral urgency to do something about this human rights crisis. This sentiment has been a driving force in both her personal and professional endeavors and was her primary motivation to become a social worker. As a homeless advocate, Marqueia’s goal is to engage community partners in open and honest dialog about the conditions that cause homelessness and real-world strategies to end it.

Matt Ampleman is an attorney and Justice Catalyst Fellow with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM). Through LSEM’s Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative, Matt works on behalf of place-based community organizations to reduce the number of vacant, nuisance properties in St. Louis City and County. Matt is part of a team of housing attorneys at LSEM that have mobilized to prevent evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has authored articles and appeared on radio and television to disseminate LSEM’s information and recommendations concerning the CDC Order, and he is excited to share this information with Empower Missouri.

Register for the October 15th Webinar Below: