How TiD Can Transform Homeless Shelters

Brandi Tuck – TEDxMtHood

How trauma-informed design can transform homeless shelters

Most homeless shelters today are poorly designed - their lack of privacy and clinical aesthetic more likely to induce distress than help with it. In this talk, homeless advocate Brandi Tuck makes the case for trauma-informed designs that can transform these spaces and help boost the well-being of their inhabitants.

Brandi is the founding Executive Director of Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), whose mission is to empower homeless families with children to get back into housing and stay there. Since 2007, Brandi has led PHFS' efforts to expand and improve their services in the community - increasing from a $78,000 budget and serving 125 kids and parents in 2007 to an over $3mil budget and helping over 1,100 kids and parents end their homelessness in 2019. Under Brandi's leadership, PHFS has been recognized by the Oregon Business Journal as one of Oregon's Top 100 Nonprofits to Work For every year since 2011. With over 15 years working with people experiencing homelessness, Brandi has become passionate about trauma informed care - the idea that we can help people better if we understand what's going on in the brain when someone experiences something as stressful as homelessness. PHFS is proud to open the first shelter in Oregon designed using trauma informed design and architecture. Brandi Tuck is the founding Executive Director of Portland Homeless Family Solutions (PHFS), whose mission is to empower homeless families with children to get back into housing and stay there. Since 2007, Brandi has led PHFS' efforts to expand and improve their services in the community - increasing from a $78,000 budget and serving 125 kids and parents in 2007 to an over $3mil budget and helping over 1,100 kids and parents end their homelessness in 2019. Under Brandi's leadership, PHFS has been recognized by the Oregon Business Journal as one of Oregon's Top 100 Nonprofits to Work For every year since 2011. 

With over 15 years working with people experiencing homelessness, Brandi has become passionate about trauma informed care - the idea that we can help people better if we understand what's going on in the brain when someone experiences something as stressful as homelessness. PHFS is proud to open the first shelter in Oregon designed using trauma informed design and architecture. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/talks/brandi_tuck_how_trauma_informed_design_can_transform_homeless_shelters