Marla Bautista studies how various countries work toward ending homelessness. In America, homelessness is solvable; however, to eliminate an individual’s homelessness, the government must address the root cause and type of homelessness an individual may be experiencing. No two homeless experiences are parallel. Marla says, “We must rehumanize homeless community members. They are us in other circumstances.” Marla Bautista is the author of My Thoughts Abandoned and co-author of Brave Women, Strong Faith. She is also a freelance writer, blogger, speaker and earned her Bachelors of Arts in Communications from the University of Maryland University College. Marla also works on the Military Spouse Advisory Council for Caliber Home Loans; she educates, collaborates, and leads initiatives to prevent and eliminate Veteran homelessness. Her passion is helping people in need. She does so as the Co-founder and CEO of the Bautista Project Inc, a nonprofit organization providing for homeless community members in Tampa, FL. 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/tedx