Paul Boden

Paul Boden is Executive Director of WRAP (Western Regional Advocacy Project). He became homeless at the age of 16. He began volunteering at a drop-in shelter in San Francisco in 1983, eventually becoming a program director there. He then worked as a case manager in a supportive hotel program for mentally ill people. Paul served as Executive Director of San Francisco’s Coalition on Homelessness for 16 years and was a founder of the Community Housing Partnership, a nationally recognized permanent housing corporation with optional supportive services. He served as president of its Board for 10 years. Paul was also a board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless and co-chair of its civil rights and grassroots organizing workgroup.

Articles by Paul Boden

Cities Must Stop Homeless Sweeps And Instead Provide People With Concrete Opportunities For Housing

In order to get real about addressing homelessness in America, we need to get real about how we have demonized, dehumanized, and criminalized the presence of unhoused people in our local community.

Paul Boden, Molly Beckhardt and Erin Goodling Sep 01, 2020

Defund The Police – And Abolish Laws Used To Target Vulnerable People

Making our communities safe requires not only the defunding of police departments, but also dismantling discriminatory laws that target survival activities such as sleeping, sitting, lying down, and eating in public space.

Molly Beckhardt, Paul Boden and Erin Goodling Jun 26, 2020

Housing Is A Human Right. It Should Not Be Predicated On The Money In One’s Pocket.

There are certain universal human needs that any governing structure — from local to federal — is responsible for. Among these are housing, healthcare, education, public parks, clean water, and clean air — the things that make life beautiful. These needs touch every single living being and as such, are non-negotiable. They do not belong on the open market.

Molly Beckhardt, Paul Boden and June LS Apr 24, 2020