Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services

In this compelling episode of “Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services,” Dr. Ryan Smith, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles, shares his personal history of youth homelessness and how his lived experience shaped his professional mission to create a more compassionate and effective homeless services system.

From the formative influence of his mother to his first job as a youth organizer at 15, Dr. Smith recounts the journey that led him to lead one of LA’s most impactful service organizations. He walks us through the four foundational pillars of St. Joseph Center—Housing, Outreach, Mental Health, and Economic Mobility—and explains why investing in frontline workers and replicating community college programs, such as Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate, are essential steps to ending homelessness. This episode is both a call to action and a testament to the power of care, dignity, and workforce development in driving sustainable change.