Ep. 107 Affordable Housing Solutions: How Housing Consultants of America Transforms Lives🏠

In this informative and inspiring episode, I sat down with Jenna Ghisolfo, Founder and CEO of Housing Consultants of America. At just 17 years old, Jenna found herself trapped in an abusive relationship. With a baby in her arms and nowhere to go, one chance encounter led her to the only path forward at that time, which was through a Section 8 housing voucher. This brave step to leave her relationship allowed Jenna to rebuild her life. She returned to school, earned her degree, and began a career in affordable housing as a way to give back to the community that once gave her a second chance.

Seven years ago, Jenna founded Housing Consultants of America, a national company dedicated to housing individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and people with disabilities. Together, we explore real solutions to homelessness, the life-changing impact of housing for the vulnerable, and how advocacy and community can transform lives.

Topics include:

•Recognizing and escaping domestic abuse
•The life-changing impact of affordable housing
•Support and resources for domestic abuse survivors
•Advocacy for affordable housing in the U.S.
•Breaking the stigma around homelessness
•The power of resilience, courage, and community for life transformation

If you need help or know someone that does, please reach out to Jenna's company or share these resources with someone you care about.❤️

Jenna's resources:
https://housingconsultantsofamerica.com/
https://affordablehousing.com

Connect with Vonne:
www.vonnesolis.com

Subscribe to the podcast! Share your favourite episodes! Connect with Vonne on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome.
• 0:07 Jenna’s Journey to Affordable Housing Advocacy.
• 6:47 Jenna's Early Life and Abusive Relationship.
• 13:27 Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Abuse.
• 18:15 Challenges and Support for Domestic Violence Victims.
• 24:51 Jenna's Personal Growth and Advocacy.
• 41:11 The Dynamic Family Structure.
• 46:16 Housing Consultants of America's Mission and Impact.
• 1:13:05 Closing.

Transcript

Vonne Solis  0:00  
This is the Grief Talk podcast with Vonne Solis, helping you heal after loss and life's hardest hits.

My guest today is Jenna Ghisolfo. Jenna knows firsthand the life-changing impact of safe and stable housing. As a young woman in an abusive relationship, her only way out was through Section 8 housing. With a baby in her arms, she made the choice to start over and rebuild her life. That second chance proved to help Jenna find her purpose. For the past 18 years, Jenna has dedicated her career to affordable housing, and today is the founder and CEO of Housing Consultants of America. A national company that helps domestic violence survivors, veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness to find stability and dignity through secure housing. Most recently, Jenna was crowned United States of America Mrs. Arizona, where she uses this platform to shine a light on homelessness and help drive real solutions to help others thrive in their life. 

Audience, welcome, welcome today, my guest, Jenna Ghisolfo. Jenna, pop in and say hi. We have so much to talk about today. Whoa.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:15  
=Yes, it's gonna be exciting. I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be a good conversation.

Vonne Solis  1:19  
Yes, and I just love your upbeat, vibrant energy, just already. And hey, audience, check out Jenna's background. That's the real deal. That's her room. And we love it. Love it, love it. So thank you for being such a vibrant energy, Jenna.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:36  
Absolutely, absolutely. Got to bring the energy with the background. Gotta bring it all.

Vonne Solis  1:40  
Yeah, yeah. So I did your introduction, Jenna, and so we do know that you work in a lot of areas. We're going to start off right away with your story, and then we're going to move into the work you do with the the abused. Domestic violence issues, veterans. I believe there's some disability attached to that. You may work with some disabled veterans and homelessness, of course, and this is a passion you fell into very, I'm going to say, probably naturally. Passion, purpose, work because of your own tender circumstances that I'm going to let you tell the audience about. And then we're going to get into some questions about how this how your story led you to the work that you do today. Share across the United States. Probably can be impactful to other countries, because we're all facing a problem of homelessness. So what I wasn't clear about is whether most of your work is directed at homelessness, and that's your number one initiative to to end homelessness, or at least provide better supports for those who, as they say in Canada, are unhoused. Or if it all works together. That's domestic violence we'll say victims and the homeless. So I'm going to let you dive in and tell us a little bit about Jenna. Where you want to start with your story and how you found your purpose work.

Jenna Ghisolfo  3:17  
Perfect. Well, let's kind of maybe start from the beginning. I was born and raised here in Arizona, a beautiful state. Incredibly hot, but beautiful, and, uh, had a beautiful upbringing, great, supportive family. But when I went to college, I found myself kind of lost, as we all do, right when we when we journey on our own for the first time into university. And I ended up in an abusive relationship that honestly was so slow to progress that I didn't even realize the abuse was going on. It was it was so gradually done to me that ultimately it took me years to then reflect back and go, Wait a minute, that was actually abuse. I didn't even recognize this. I was just dealing and surviving is the best way to put it on a day to day basis, just to make ends meet.

And so in this abusive relationship, I finally realized that something wasn't healthy here, right? I couldn't pinpoint it, but I knew something wasn't healthy. And I ended up living at that time in Reno, and I was at a Walmart, out of all places. And a woman in line in the checkout line overheard me having a conversation that my, that my my income was going down, and I needed a place to live. And so ultimately, what she did was she, she stepped in and she basically said, I think I know of a place right down the road from here that bases your income on your or, sorry, bases your rent on your income. That's all she could really tell me. She couldn't give me too many more details, but I thought, well, it can't hurt to just go stop by and take a look. And so I went in, and it ended up being a Section 8 property. And for those that are not familiar with what Section 8 is or maybe have just heard of the reference, what Section 8 really is, it's, it's a program provided by the government, where you only pay 30% of your income towards your rent. So it really allows people who are financially strapped to be able to have some resources and additional funds not only to be able to pay their rent, but be able to sustain themselves in food and and other aspects as well. So I went and applied, and I got in, and my rent was only $400 a month in rent, and that was the catalyst to me leaving my abusive relationship. And I basically then said, I'm dedicating my career to giving back to those that gave me a second chance, because I really felt like this, this roof over my head, and this, this housing situation for me to get out of this abusive relationship, was really my second opportunity. And I had an infant son at that time, and I just said, I'm gonna take advantage of this opportunity. We ultimately moved into a one bedroom apartment, and I started my life all over, from going back to college, from working at Pier One out of all places, just to have income coming in. It was anything I could do to survive, and that's when I knew I needed to give back to the same community that gave me a second chance, and it ultimately ended up being homelessness and Section 8 or public housing, that led me into this career path.

I started working for a management companies, housing authorities, and ultimately, seven years ago, launched my own company to allow individuals who are as you and I love the way Canada puts it "unhoused". I hate the word homelessness. I love unhoused. That's a beautiful, powerful word. And really then dedicated my career to supporting as many agencies as possible across the nation. It wasn't just working with one company, it was how many people, how many lives can I touch in one day? And so now we've got over 23 consultants nationwide that are on a day to day basis, pulling people off the streets, whether they're veterans, disabled.

Vonne Solis  7:34  
Wow.

Jenna Ghisolfo  7:34  
Whatever it might be, domestic violence, we're pulling them off the streets, and we're putting them into some sort of stabilized housing. Whether that's Section 8. Public housing. It might be temporary housing where they only have 90 days, but it's better than being unhoused, right? We're giving them solutions. We're giving them opportunities.

Vonne Solis  7:55  
So I don't want to gloss over and I know you don't either, the fact that you had the courage to leave an abusive relationship with a baby. So there are a couple things going on here that I'm picking up. Because, as I just told you, before we started recording, I was a single mom seven years in the early 80s, and boy, was it a stigma. I had my daughter in '83. And if she got sick, for example, one time she had pneumonia, and I rushed her to the hospital, where she ended up, you know, in a hospital stay, and they sent a social worker to me to make sure I was a good mom. And I had this talk with the social worker, and she said, You got a better life going on than me. And that always stuck with me, because the stigma was so bad of being a single parent. And so it got a little bit better, I would say, maybe around, you know, 25 or so years ago, because we started then having issues about same sex parents, and then it just threw the whole family dynamic and what that looks like into question. And, you know, some places are still pondering that. In Canada, we're pretty liberal, and just about anything goes. So it takes guts and it takes courage. And I want to ask, did you face stigma as a newly single or sometimes people call it now solo parent? And I want to find out from you how you found that guts and courage to jump off the cliff and trust?

Jenna Ghisolfo  9:44  
That is such a great question. And I wish, I wish more people would tap into that, because, right, that is where the power comes from. That is where our strength comes from. Where I found it? You know, honestly, I don't know. I knew, though, deep down, that the way I was being treated was on the way I was raised, right? It wasn't these these were not normal things. The way, the way I was being spoken to, treated, was not not normal. And so therefore I knew I needed to to make a change. The strength definitely came from within. I would say I had some great role models of some, some unbelievable women in my life that definitely were role models for me, especially my mom, and she was, as you like to say, a solo parent, and she raised my sister and I to be, you know, entrepreneurs. My sister's an attorney. We were our self-thinkers and strong women, and so I think I really had to re-focus and say, Wait a minute. I know my upbringings. I know my value. What do I need to do here to reset my life? And taking that step was the scariest step. I remember making that decision over and over and going, am I making the right decision? I'm leaving a relationship where I have some sort of security. I feel some sort of security into the unknown, where I have no support. I'm doing this all on my own, but ultimately it was the best decision for me to make, because I needed the abuse to stop.

Vonne Solis  11:24  
Yeah, it's so interesting. Yeah, I had my daughter alone. I was already split by the time I had her, and she was born in a Catholic hospital and she was mixed race.

Jenna Ghisolfo  11:37  
No.

Vonne Solis  11:38  
Yes.

Jenna Ghisolfo  11:39  
Then that would have been a whole, a whole ordeal.

Vonne Solis  11:43  
And also, it was a small town, it was, and the hospital was run by nuns. And people came to the nursery because for a long time she like they, they the doc kept me in for a week because I was single, and he was a great doctor from England, and he liked me, and he was giving me a rest, but people came to the nursery room to come see her because they had found out about her in the town. Can you imagine? I know. I mean, it's, there's a two-edged sword here.

Jenna Ghisolfo  12:12  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  12:13  
Racist much, but also, 

Jenna Ghisolfo  12:15  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  12:16  
but also curious. She was half West Indian, and so, you know, anyway, it was quite the situation, so I get the guts, but what, you know, and I already had it. I had to have it, because I was just like, anyway, I was a fiery, I'm a fiery Aries, and I'm just going to tackle what I need to. But only if you're comfortable, and we're going to turn to the issues you work with. But I just want to know if today, what are your thoughts on, and you know, in your country, the US - on domestic violence. Are there, listen, is it as is it as rampant? Has it always been rampant? Has we they've talked about it for years and years and years the Oprah, on the Oprah show, and whatever. Are there sufficient resources, or in your very, you know, own personal opinion, do you still think women have trouble, and I'll even say men, because some men are abused too, right? But those that are being, you know, in that those that are living in domestic violence situations, and I've also experienced that way back when, holy crap, and you really kind of don't see it, and you make your fault right?

Jenna Ghisolfo  13:27  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  13:27  
You make it your fault. And like, what's wrong with me? And how do I fix this relationship? Do you think it's as rampant and bad today, and that people are still just those same questions? And you know, how how do people like break that cycle?

Jenna Ghisolfo  13:43  
It's such a hard cycle to break because, like you mentioned, you have to have the courage to walk away, whether you know your resources or not. That's a mental step that you have to be able to, willing to willing to take. And sometimes, like we mentioned, fear is such a factor in it that some women just say, I can't leave out of fear, and I do feel this is still a prevalent issue. It's not going to go away. It's not a country issue. It's a national worldwide issue. Like domestic violence is nothing that's just in the United States or in Canada. It's in every nation. And while we do have some great resources. I will say, we've got some great resources. The downside is having individuals who are in a domestic violence situation be welcoming and receptive to the resources is sometimes the challenge that we see because a lot of individuals like you mentioned will say, I don't feel like I'm in a domestic violence situation. I don't recognize it. I don't see these as big issues. And so they'll kind of change the conversation in their head to to justify the means, basically, as we like to say. And so while there are some great resources out there, I would say the biggest hindrance for domestic violence victims is being able to take that next step in accepting the resources and what they provide to them. Because it's, it's, it's that step you've got to take to say, I'm closing that chapter, or I'm closing that door, and I'm going to move forward with my life. And a lot of individuals are just in this fear mode of, I can't walk away. I don't know how to walk away, or I won't be taken care of if I walk away from this situation. And that is not the truth. It is absolutely not the truth.

Vonne Solis  15:35  
Yeah. So even in leaving and in being a solo, single parent, whatever you want, however you want to call it, I believe and for me, it was absolute trust and faith that the next door would open or if I desperately needed something, you know, I kind of asked. I was a very spiritual I, you know, I was raised Christian, but also developed a spiritual practice early on, and while it evolved like umpteen 1000 times.

Jenna Ghisolfo  16:04  
As it should, right? As you get older.

Vonne Solis  16:06  
Yeah, even back then, though I would ask for help. Just please send the resources and and always they came my way. Did you find that to be the case for you? You know, meeting your challenges? Was it was it faith, trust? What did what you know when you took that first step and you that decision and said, I'm leaving. I'm not talking planning. I'm talking now the day you're out the door, where did you go? And did you have trust and faith every step of your journey, until you felt you know, a foundation under your feet?

Jenna Ghisolfo  16:44  
I mean, what a great question. Do do I feel like I had the faith? Yes. But did I, in my mind still have that, that lingering doubt that, Oh my gosh, I'm not going to make it so I'm gonna regress, etcetera? Absolutely. And so that's what I think was challenging for me is, is finding that, I think, like you mentioned, that that that strength to ultimately move on and take that next step. And it took me months. It took me months. This wasn't a quick decision that I made. This was, you know, I went in and toured that apartment complex, and maybe two, three months later, I actually made the decision. Because ultimately, you know, you've got to pack up a family. You've got to move out of an apartment, and that is ...

Vonne Solis  17:43  
A lot.

Jenna Ghisolfo  17:43  
Not only is it a lot physically, but emotionally. Because you're closing a door, you're closing that chapter. And I did not feel emotionally prepared to close that chapter. I was definitely so scarred. So as I like to put it, the best way I could describe it was damaged at that time that I couldn't even see straight, and all I knew was I needed to move out. That was it. That was my only goal is everything else, just kind of let it fall to the wayside. 

Vonne Solis  18:14  
Yeah.

Jenna Ghisolfo  18:15  
My ultimate goal was just to get into a new housing situation so I could start over. And that's where a lot of this, this the the stigma of being a domestic violence victim comes in, because you as a victim feel like, wait a minute, I can't be successful. And people are going to view me differently if I talk about this, things along those lines. And in reality, it is not that way. When you start to talk about domestic violence, community pours in. People pour in to support you, and that is not what I expected. Had I wished, looking back on it, I wished I would have tapped into my community support earlier on than when I actually did, and that would be my greatest advice to any current domestic violence victims, is, you've got the support. You've got the community built around you. Sometimes you just need to ask for help, right? That is the biggest thing is, is be okay to ask for that help.

Vonne Solis  19:16  
Yeah. I just want to also remind folks you were the tender age of 18?

Jenna Ghisolfo  19:22  
17. 17. 

Vonne Solis  19:23  
17. You're a baby yourself.

Jenna Ghisolfo  19:28  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  19:28  
I mean, you have kids now, right? Like, well, obviously you have more than the one?

Jenna Ghisolfo  19:33  
Absolutely. My son that was in that situation with me is now 19 and going into the military. Like, 

Vonne Solis  19:39  
You were younger than him.

Jenna Ghisolfo  19:41  
That's I, you know, that is what hit me when he turned 18. I have a reality check that went, Oh my gosh. When I was your age, I was a single parent. Just got out of an abusive relationship, and trying to find my way. And yet, here you are, and you have an amazing life and career ahead of you. So yes, what a great way to just kind of refocus your life.

Vonne Solis  20:08  
And so I just want to say, also, for those that are not aware of this, the brain doesn't finish developing till at least age 25. That's the physical part. So any actions we take in our life up to that point, you know, they're not the same we would take when we're older. And I'm not even saying 25. I was 25 when I had my daughter, and so a little older than than you going into this, you know, aloneness, and you have to do everything on your own. But it's when it's just a fact, it's just a fact. But when you make a decision, and this is what I want to jump to. I had emailed you I believe, and I said that I really believe one major decision sometimes made in a split second, can definitely create the foundation of change.

Jenna Ghisolfo  21:01  
Absolutely.

Vonne Solis  21:02  
I stick to that in my much older years now.

Jenna Ghisolfo  21:05  
As you should. It's a great theme, and it's a great reminder.

Vonne Solis  21:09  
I'll tell you why, because as life hits us, and as we're talking, we're not just talking today, Jenna about being single with a child. Alone, with a child. We're talking about, any age, any circumstance, can hit us and land us on the street for God's sake, okay? Anything, anything. And, you know, I've watched some documentaries about those on the streets and, well, in Canada here, there is a definite percentage that are definitely struggling with mental health issues and addicted to drugs. But there are also brilliant people on the street who have, for whatever reason, lost their career, gave it up, are choosing to live off grid and find themselves, you know, getting booted out of the forest, out of the parks, etc, etc. I live on Vancouver Island. Our Vancouver city, there's documentaries on the problems in our downtown area there. And actually we have some small cities or towns in Canada and in British Columbia, as a matter of fact, that have declared a state of emergency.

Jenna Ghisolfo  22:24  
Wow.

Vonne Solis  22:25  
Due to I'll call it homelessness today, and they don't know how to fix the problem. So two things I want to jump to here is, do you I think you do agree a split second made where you know this is a true decision. You, it was, I have to leave.

Jenna Ghisolfo  22:44  
 Yes.

Vonne Solis  22:45  
And then you let the other pieces fall into place.

Jenna Ghisolfo  22:47  
That's exactly it.

Vonne Solis  22:49  
And and that sets the foundation for doors opening.

Jenna Ghisolfo  22:53  
Yes.

Vonne Solis  22:53  
Do you agree with that?

Jenna Ghisolfo  22:54  
Absolutely, absolutely. It's just that split second decision that you have to go with what your gut feels in that moment. What you know is true and is right. Absolutely.

Vonne Solis  23:06  
And I want to emphasize, uh, again, a split second decision doesn't mean you haven't contemplated it. So let's be very, very clear about that, folks and Jenna and I are both here encouraging the audience. Whoever this you know interview reaches, if it's hitting a nerve in you and something's off in your life, and even if it's some dissatisfaction. Because Jenna, I know you're going to agree, when you take that leap and you jump off the cliff with your first decision. The doors don't always fling open immediately, and we have to sometimes be patient, wait. We have to look for the opportunities. We have to be very intentional and very focused sometimes, but it's very hard to do that when you're in survival mode. Leaving abuse and leaving any situation, you know, we're still panicked. And the brain's not thinking, and this is where support is so important. So I want to just ask again, are there resources available for any domestic abuse, I'm going to call it victims here because we can be a victim, and then we can decide not to be a victim. But I think

Jenna Ghisolfo  24:29  
As a survivor, yep.

Vonne Solis  24:30  
As a survivor, but I think that we'll just for those that are still in it there, you know, we're going to go with that word for the moment. Is there enough so if somebody's contemplating leaving a situation, and they've finally got the guts to do it, and I'm talking about the States. I don't know about Canada. Is there a number they can call where they can feel assured that they've got support?

Jenna Ghisolfo  24:51  
You know, I'm not sure if there's a generic national number. I can certainly do some research, because I'm sure there are. But local city programs, there are numbers, numerous nonprofits that do nothing but specialize in domestic violence assistance. And I would say to anyone, wherever you're located, you can always Google it for nonprofits that specialize in domestic violence because a lot of them receive government funding for individuals who have been domestic violence victims, and so they're looking to really pull people in. And what they do with these resources is, not only do they check to make sure physically you're okay, right? That's the first, first visit, first item that they need to do. Then they're going to go down a list and see what other services do we need to provide to you? Do you need housing? Do you need transportation? Do you need food? Do you what what do you need so then they can immediately start dispersing, either out to within their own community or within their own department to find you the resources that you need. But like you mentioned, it is a split second decision. And you're right, the doors don't always immediately open, but they do open up eventually. It took me 10 years before I opened up my own business, but here we are, and I would have never thought at 17 or 18 I would have opened up my own business. There's it wouldn't have even been a thought in my mind. So,

Vonne Solis  26:21  
Yeah.

Jenna Ghisolfo  26:21  
please know that once you take that first step, the subsequent steps will happen. The doors will open. It's just gonna take time.

Vonne Solis  26:29  
Yeah. I yeah, and I just, I really, really am sensitive to the subject, because Jenna's been there. I've been there, you know? I mean, it took me three abusive partners, not married, but three.

Jenna Ghisolfo  26:48  
Oh.

Vonne Solis  26:48  
Wait now, starting from a teenager. Well, you were so you were too.

Jenna Ghisolfo  26:54  
For you too as well. I mean, to hear the same story, it's, it's unbelieveable  how it starts at such a young age.

Vonne Solis  27:00  
I, I was talking to a woman a couple years ago of a Gen Z, a very young Gen Z, which, okay, I can't remember. What are they, 18 to something, 20, 30, or something now? I don't know. Something like that. And college age. Brand new in college, and a group of them were still displaying symptoms of unworthiness and being sub by being subjected to abuse.

Jenna Ghisolfo  27:36  
Oh no.

Vonne Solis  27:37  
And this mom found out about it and gave them a stern talking to and we were chatting about it, and just basically couldn't believe, couldn't believe, couldn't believe the mentality was still there from younger females. It exists Jenna.

Jenna Ghisolfo  27:56  
And like you said, it doesn't go away. It's not a thing that just happened in the 80s or the 90s, it is still happening to this day.

Vonne Solis  28:04  
Yes, so the reason I'm just, you know, not even giving it a nod. Full on taking this people listen, and I do believe women are abused more than males, but even for the male, because I don't think we really understand male abuse. And while we are going to turn to some other like I said other things in the episode right now, it's imperative. I know for you, if you're watching or listening to this, and Jenna, I know you're right with me. We know it takes guts, and that's even in a split second, can be that difference between yes or no, I'm ready to pick up the phone. And I know a lot of things have to be done in secret. I know that. But, I've even had to leave a situation in secret, and I just picked up the phone and called a guy from an ad - no internet at the time - in the paper who had a truck and got him to come and get my stuff. Me, my daughter and my cat.

Jenna Ghisolfo  29:04  
What?

Vonne Solis  29:05  
Yes, yes. So

Jenna Ghisolfo  29:09  
You do what you need to to get out.

Vonne Solis  29:10  
like, holy crap. And so it was way better. And this was just a guy I was renting a room from.

Jenna Ghisolfo  29:19  
Jeez.

Vonne Solis  29:20  
I wasn't even in a relationship, but the mental control? Unbelievable. But I was in my, I was 30, and I was I recognized it at that point.

Jenna Ghisolfo  29:32  
Wow.

Vonne Solis  29:33  
You know, so while we're not focusing and making this a topic of abuse, it's essential to what you went through and and less so for me, because here's the other thing. I never turned the abuse into, because I grew up kind of watching my dad be a bit abusive, but only in certain situations.

Jenna Ghisolfo  29:58  
Oh.

Vonne Solis  29:58  
Yes. Like it like if my mom wore too much makeup, you know, she got a bit of a whack or, you know, it wasn't obvious. No, I know I know. I don't want to get into that, but it just again, that was the 50s, 60s, and even spanking the heck out of your kids. That's abuse, right?

Jenna Ghisolfo  30:15  
Absolutely, different time, different era.

Vonne Solis  30:17  
What parent does that? Mine.

Jenna Ghisolfo  30:21  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  30:22  
Corporal punishment, not quite, but almost. Anyway, so I'm just saying we've grown up, and we can, culturally and generationally, kind of go, Well, it was just a little hit. That wasn't so bad, etc. So we can condition ourselves, or otherwise have someone condition us to understand this is the norm for you, and by the way, this is just how it is and what you deserve.

Jenna Ghisolfo  30:48  
Yes,  I so agree.

Vonne Solis  30:50  
So we internalize it and it becomes our secret. And as you said, very hard to talk about. And so I'm praying to God in your local areas if you are dealing with this, please, please, please, somehow find the courage to at least just start looking at what support. Reach out if you can.

Jenna Ghisolfo  31:11  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  31:11  
Even secretly, get get the wheels in motion, because these people are trained to help you get out and be and feel safe. And I'm hoping they do it with pets. Do do you think they do it with pets today?

Jenna Ghisolfo  31:25  
I know they do because I've, I've got homeless communities where we've got domestic violence victims, and they move everybody. It's an entire support system, right? They're not going to leave your pets. It's

Yes, right.

it's a package deal, basically.

Vonne Solis  31:38  
Yeah. I want to just, I want to move on but one last thing I want to say to this, because your work is in this area. How can, if you can answer this, how can people following up on this notion of secrecy and so on and shame? Oh, my goodness. How can they mentally and emotionally kind of discipline themselves to understand that the threats against them, if you leave, etc, that they they have the support to withstand those threats?

Jenna Ghisolfo  32:11  
Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, I would say, really, it's understanding that if once you tap into these resources, those threats are nothing. They mean nothing. They they can't hurt you. They're just words, right? That's all they really are. And when you have a community to support you, or a non-profit, or an organization that's got your back and resources, let those threats come. Because ultimately, you have taken care of your life, and you've made those next steps to improve your life. And typically, your abuser is trying to put up, as I like to say, words, not physical barriers. They're putting up words to prevent you from progressing. And all they are is words. They're not physical barriers, but in your mind, they can be traps, or they can be roadblocks for you not to succeed. And so what I'd like to remind everybody is, no matter what your abuser is telling you, know that your community, your resources, your non-profits, everything that you've tapped into, are going to have a better understanding and better support for you because they're seeing it from an outside situation. They've got no emotions tapped into this situation. So it's going to be a better foundation and a better tool for you to use in terms of listening to who's telling you the truth and who's not. So keep it in mind.

Vonne Solis  33:35  
Yeah. So isolation, you know, things are horrible and magnified, and community, it puts things in perspective for you. So I'm wishing all of you out there, if you need to get out, change your life in any way, don't have the guts bringing it down to just those who need the courage to leave and change their life. And you're not in an abusive situation. You're just frustrated, you're scared. You don't you don't trust yourself. Again, you can use these lessons that Jenna's sharing today, and we're talking about conversationally, to same tactics, to make any changes in your life. Honest to God, if you're frustrated or just not satisfied or not living to your true potential, then change is just required of us for growth. It just, it's just right?

Jenna Ghisolfo  34:25  
Absolutely, absolutely. You couldn't have put it better.

Vonne Solis  34:28  
So I hope audience that's given you enough of the grit and the determination and the courage that Jenna has had, you know her foundation built on. I did want to ask you, what made you decide to go to and did you go to college, a university four-year program, three-year? Like, what was your education?

Jenna Ghisolfo  34:48  
I did. Yep, I went back to university, got my four-year degree, just got my bachelor's. But it was empowering. 

Vonne Solis  34:55  
How old were you?

Jenna Ghisolfo  34:57  
So I graduated when I was 23, 22 or 23 so I went right back in. I didn't take that much time off.

Vonne Solis  35:04  
Yeah.

Jenna Ghisolfo  35:06  
But it was, it was very empowering for me to then say I've accomplished this, right? Regardless of everything that has happened, I got to college, I got my degree, and now I can be a contributing member to society, because I have accomplished these things.

Vonne Solis  35:22  
Yeah. I went to university, it's so interesting at 30.

Jenna Ghisolfo  35:26  
Good for you!

Vonne Solis  35:28  
Single mom at 30. And it was so interesting because it was one temporary job I took that my boss, it was actually working for a probation and parole board. But anyway, my boss at the time said, you know, you should, you should go to university, Vonne. You, you really, there's lots of grants. I was living in Alberta at the time and that - so again, I want to say, could just be something someone says to you. Like the lady in the in the store.

Jenna Ghisolfo  35:58  
Yeah exactly.

Vonne Solis  35:58  
My boss, I never forgot that. And do you know what? I had amazing grants at the time. And this would have been '87 to '91. They were giving me something like 12, $1,300 a month, which was probably a lot of money back 40 years ago. Well, it would have been, let me see, 40, 37, years ago, and my daughter was five, right? I got the whole thing basically funded for a four-year program. And then I met my husband, and then I got married, and then just life changed absolutely significantly. But even getting married, I decided, You know what? I was 30, I was 33 and I was like, You know what? I think I'd like to try life married now. See what that's like, because I'd been watching families and I was tired of doing it all alone. And so fun fact. We went to we each ended up at a dating agency. No internet folks.

Jenna Ghisolfo  36:49  
 No really.

Vonne Solis  36:54  
Yes, and we were engaged after two weeks, and we've been married for 34 years.

Jenna Ghisolfo  37:00  
How awesome! What a great story.

Vonne Solis  37:03  
Yeah. And we had a son, and so we have our son, who's 33. And so the reason I'm saying that is decisions, decisions, decisions. I think I'll get married. So that was a decision, folks. That wasn't waiting around and kind of like, Oh, I hope I meet someone, because I was never going to meet someone in 1988 or I think it was 80, 89 whatever it was. Are you kidding? I was so busy single mom. University. Wasn't that fun going to university as a mom?

Jenna Ghisolfo  37:34  
Oh!

Vonne Solis  37:35  
Isn't that cool?

Jenna Ghisolfo  37:36  
It was a different experience than I had ever planned and imagined. Yeah.

Vonne Solis  37:42  
And I had daycare paid for for my daughter, you know? And this time, now, I was in Ontario, so not only did I do this, but I moved across the country. And just by looking and not being embarrassed, and sometimes we do have to go to social services, whatever you call it. Do you call it that in the States? Or welfare?

Social services?

Jenna Ghisolfo  38:04  
Social services.

Vonne Solis  38:05  
Right. And they're, hey, let me tell you about this. Oh, you can have snowsuits free for your daughter. Oh, she has dental free. Oh, we'll pay for her daycare. And I'm like, you know, if I hadn't reached out because I was so humiliated or embarrassed or the stigma? Remember, this is the 80s, very, very stigmatized. Something's wrong with you. Yours is a little different. It's because you left a marriage. Were you married?

Jenna Ghisolfo  38:31  
Yeah. I was married at the time, yeah.

Vonne Solis  38:33  
So you're like, you know you've got that domestic - it's still hard. Not saying it wasn't, but I had a child totally out of wedlock. Out of wedlock.

Jenna Ghisolfo  38:42  
Yes, yep.

Vonne Solis  38:43  
I'll bet you some of the audience doesn't even know what that means. But anyway, Ask and You Shall Receive.

Jenna Ghisolfo  38:52  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  38:53  
Okay?

Jenna Ghisolfo  38:53  
Yes. What would you say was one of your biggest challenges, though, because, like you said, there was that stigmatism back then. I'm a single parent. I need support. I need social services. I need this. What would you say was one of your biggest challenges in that time?

Vonne Solis  39:13  
To feel secure.

Jenna Ghisolfo  39:14  
Oh, yes.

Vonne Solis  39:16  
And I wanted to provide my daughter with stability. So I put her and I'm I'll ask you about this with your son, because how long were you alone with your son? To what age was he?

Jenna Ghisolfo  39:31  
Seven or eight years I would say. I got into another relationship. Yeah.

Vonne Solis  39:35  
Same. So I met my husband when my daughter was seven. Janaya was seven, and we married when she was eight, and we had her brother when she was nine. And then, and then we moved overseas and lived in the diplomatic corps and all this stuff. How I look at my life is chapters. And I look at my life like, holy crap. I think I've experienced just about everything, and there's not too much left for me to kind of experience, to be able to connect to people. And so I have a deep empathy and an understanding, and in my bereavement now compassion for anybody's pain. Anything, anything. But I also have had a spiritual practice since I was 25. So I lean into the metaphysics and also coaching to help unders other other people tap into their own sense of power, and, you know, actual, real steps to change their life when they're just bored or don't think about it or not, you know, not confident enough. I've been there, done that. And so every, every, every sort of scenario, every chapter that represents a significant life altering scenario, you know, I've just used it as life experience. And, you know, and frankly, I don't want any more of them. And

Jenna Ghisolfo  41:06  
I can't blame you. You've had your life worth of it. You're done.

Vonne Solis  41:10  
Yeah, and, you know, so, so it's, it's been interesting, but the point I want to make, and now we also live in a society. I don't know, tell me if you feel this, in the States, but in Canada, we're really all-embracing. Even if it's on the surface, but we're just built that way. And I'm not talking super left leaning. I'm just talking in an in general, in general as a whole, anything kind of goes, and we're very supportive with our medical. And we got our problems, don't get me wrong, but we were, we're, oh, we're going to have same sex marriage now, you know, 15 years ago, Okay, done. Oh, you know, same sex couple, couples can adopt? Okay, we're done, you know? And it just sort of, it's just we, we kind of evolve as society, culturally and socially changes. Would, I don't know we want to get into a conversation about the United States, but and other countries, but for sure, it's just part of our mentality. So I kind of already fit into all of that, doing things just in a different time period. Way more like advanced in terms of time than what has socially become. People don't even look at anybody that has kids on their own today.

Jenna Ghisolfo  42:29  
Agreed, agreed and

Vonne Solis  42:31  
Right?

Jenna Ghisolfo  42:31  
it's not necessarily the same in the United States. I would say we've got that underlying tone of we're all supportive. I think, obviously with politics, and once you put emotions into it, then you start to get some opinions into it, that that then filters your your your viewpoint, but ultimately, yes, we're on the same pages. Like you said when things change, laws change? We're going to go with it. We're going to adapt, right? You might have the push back, like you do in some by some individuals who are not going to be happy, but ultimately, if the law changes, that's what we've got to we've got to adapt, and we've got to move on right?

Vonne Solis  43:08  
Right. So would you say, though, the nuclear, the idea of the nuclear family, while broad, and there are definitely those that think you need a mom and dad and, you know, and well two kids and the picket fence, but you know, to to be the epitome of the the family, would you say in general? I'm talking in general when you look at services. I'm not talking politics. I'm talking about when you look at what's provided services and the matters that for, you know, state or municipalities, they're addressing and seeing as a problem, which we're now going to get to, homelessness, the unhoused. But would you say that the general viewpoint as to what a nuclear family is is broader now in the states and more encompassing?

Jenna Ghisolfo  43:56  
Absolutely, absolutely. Especially because you see more and more families are merging, especially after covid the generational families are coming together, and you've got generations living together, which is sometimes the best support, right? You've got grandparents living with grandchildren, and what a sense of support that you've got then in that woman's household. It can be definitely a chaotic household, but you've got some family there that that is providing you with additional support.

Vonne Solis  44:25  
And and for those who have travelled um or even come from other cultures in you know, Asia, Southeast Asia, other kind Middle East, it's the norm to live together.

Jenna Ghisolfo  44:37  
Absolutely. You, you have generations living together, and that's not, not even a question. You just live together. That's it.

Vonne Solis  44:44  
And so I actually think culturally, as we've grown further and further apart in our thinking and like kids leave at 18, you know, you know, you all be independent from each other. You live, in different cities, states, provinces. You know, I think that that has contributed to damage of the social fabric quite frankly. I do. And I think it's within all of us who have families, we need that support, and we need that connection. And I believe covid taught us that.

Jenna Ghisolfo  45:20  
Absolutely didn't it ever? Of of the importance of our family members and the importance of community and just just connecting with your neighbours. Even if they're not your family members, of knowing what's going on, and how can we support you, because ultimately, you're community at the end of the day.

Vonne Solis  45:38  
Exactly. And you know, so it's really interesting and I'm not getting into the digital part of it. My degree was in Mass Comm and crap, and that was before the internet. And we would speculate and what would happen if the internet came - well, here you go. And I think

Jenna Ghisolfo  45:54  
Here it is.

Vonne Solis  45:55  
ruining us to a point that, good God, sometimes I want to live off grid, but you know. So anyway, just just things that, and we need each other, and then I think we'd have a lot less abuse and problems if we were all together, unless culturally they're integrated into but you know what I'm saying, right?

Jenna Ghisolfo  46:15  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  46:15  
Anyway.

Jenna Ghisolfo  46:16  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  46:16  
Alright, well, let's move on, and let's talk about your company. You're the founder of housing consultants of America. I just want you to explain to folks what you do, who you support. We did say that in the intro, but little more specific about the mandate. And do people come to you or are you working more with organizations so that that trickles out to support at all at a different level of community? And also, I just want to say this is specific to the United States. Obviously, consult Housing Consultants of America. However, there could be ideas that people listening to this could think about, maybe for our own problems. Because, as we said at the top of this, at the beginning of this, it's, this is a global problem. Well, I didn't see any really homelessness and unhoused in Southeast Asia, to be honest? I didn't, but, and we travelled five countries. But so, but in North America? Hey, we got a problem. So what do you guys do?

Jenna Ghisolfo  47:16  
Well, and there's a lot of countries like you mentioned that don't have the unhoused problem, and they've come up with solutions within their own governments or within their supportive services to ensure that there aren't unhoused families. And we in the United States have not adapted those solutions. We are certainly studying other countries to see how they did this, how we can make it work. So we're learning from other countries still, to this day, as to how they're able to do it and not have like you mentioned, going to Asia and not seeing any homeless individuals. There are countries that have successfully done this. It's just a how do we then duplicate it in the United States and then also provide the funding or the supportive services that these families need? And that's where we're we're running into funding issues, and you get into all the political issues. But there are countries out there that don't have any homeless problems, like you mentioned, and it's, it's a beautiful thing.

Vonne Solis  48:13  
Well, do they actually, quick question, have you looked at Scandinavian countries? Because my understanding is that I'm not sure they have the same issues. Like Sweden. I don't know about Denmark, but, you know, they have a structure that I know years ago they even had, like co-ops.

A Co-op in Canada used to be, okay a few decades ago, would be sort of like your Section 8. Your rents would be lower, and you had to apply to get in, and you didn't pay market rent. And once people were in there, I mean, it was like a, you know, private little estate for them, and they almost never left, because once your rent starts at, like yours was 400 bucks or whatever, when you have your income, have your increases, it's, it's on that 400 bucks, all right? So, you know, it's very hard to get in, and we don't have so here's our problem in Canada. So I want you to talk about yours. We don't have anywhere to put those who are on the streets. We don't have the money. We don't have the buildings. We don't have the infrastructure.

Jenna Ghisolfo  49:23  
That's it. That is it. You tapped into it perfectly. And that's the United States' problem as well. Other countries is we just don't physically have the place to put them. And the problem is we can't build those structures quick enough, because it takes a year to a year and a half to build a housing complex. And then you're talking about, you know, costs to build the property and all that other stuff. So really, what we're seeing is, we don't, we can't build quick enough for the need. And so what can we do to be creative and not have to build from the ground up? And so a lot of the conversations we're having is, how can we convert old hotels into housing? How can we convert old dormitory house, dorms, or schools, for that matter, because classrooms can be turned into into a shelter. How can we get a little creative in how we just convert housing, because building it brand new takes too long. So what can we do to just restructure? And that's where I think the United States is really pushing a lot of their efforts, is being creative in what can else can we do? Because we can't build, we don't have the land, we don't have the money. What can we do to just say, All right, here's an already pre-established structure. All you need to do is basic modifications. Like a hotel, a hotel is already set up for housing.

Vonne Solis  50:46  
Hey, off the top of my head, what does so I want to come back to this. Tiny houses, container housing and 3D. 

Jenna Ghisolfo  50:54  
Yep.

Vonne Solis  50:54  
Wait and 3D housing. Okay, okay, keep that in the top of your mind, but tell me what is the absolute number one or two priorities for your company, Housing Consultants of America?

Jenna Ghisolfo  51:09  
You know, I'd say our number one priority is to house individuals that are currently experiencing homelessness, whatever that means to them. Whether they're living in a car, in a shelter on the streets. Wherever they're living, our primary focus is to get you into housing, and we do that on a national level. Our second primary focus is to then ensure compliance, right? Ensuring that these people that we're putting in here aren't millionaires that are trying to scam the system, and these are obviously individuals that need the support. So those are our top two priorities when we deal with housing. I'd say a lot of our clients tend to be developers or management companies or housing authorities that have the vacancies, that basically come to us and say, we've got a vacant building.

Vonne Solis  51:59  
Okay.

Jenna Ghisolfo  51:59  
 Can you help us fill this because we've got an investor deadline of, let's say, the end of the year, and we have to ensure this property is 100% occupied. Can you help us fill in with these bodies of individuals that need the support? And we basically go in with a team and we lease that property up.

Vonne Solis  52:17  
So okay, cool. So when you do that. So you work with stakeholders They and you fill their problem, which is usually, you know how, like, I got to get someone in here.

Jenna Ghisolfo  52:27  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  52:28  
Are they kind of doing it money-motivated, or is it a combination - sure, we want to get the money, but we also want to help.

Jenna Ghisolfo  52:35  
No. So a lot of this, and this is where it becomes, very surprising, is it's not money-motivated. It is honestly because they've received the federal funding in advance.

Vonne Solis  52:45  
Okay.

Jenna Ghisolfo  52:45  
So in order for them to fulfill that federal funding or that grant that they

Vonne Solis  52:49  
Okay.

Jenna Ghisolfo  52:50  
they then have to house it with individuals that are homeless, domestic violence victims, veterans, whatever the qualification might be.

Vonne Solis  52:58  
Oh okay. And so that is very impressive.

Jenna Ghisolfo  53:04  
It is so rewarding. The stories that I hear from individuals that have said, I've been homeless or living in my car for three years, and this is the first set of keys I've received in decades.

Vonne Solis  53:15  
Right.

Jenna Ghisolfo  53:15  
Little stories like that that just fill my day.

Vonne Solis  53:18  
Right. So when your company is working, I'm just going to call them stakeholders for to encompass everyone you're working with. So let's take that as an example, because I want people who are watching this if they're individuals, and go, Hey, I could use that. In order to benefit from what your, you know, Housing Consultants of America does, so you have a stakeholder. They gotta, let's just say, a building, a dorm, whatever it is they need. They've got a grant. They need to put bodies in there because they really want to help. I need somewhere to live. I am in Chicago. How do I find out about that?

Jenna Ghisolfo  53:56  
Easy. So there's a website that's called affordablehousing.com.

Vonne Solis  54:00  
Okay.

Jenna Ghisolfo  54:00  
And basically, you type in your city or your zip code, and you can then find any properties that are registered as affordable. Whether it's Section 8, public housing, we've got a million other different programs that are out there. Those are just the two most commonly referred to. And then you can look and say, All right, these five properties are within a 10 mile radius of where I live. Let me see if they have any availability, and if not, let me get my name on the wait list because they might have availability next month or the following month. So there is a there is a one-stop shop for US residents, at least, to be able to see what resources are available in my city, zip code, wherever you might be.

Vonne Solis  54:42  
Right. So again, I just want to emphasize to the audience, if you're in need of something and are looking for at this moment, we're talking this is housing. This is to solve a shelter situation? Go to affordablehousing.com. Plug in your zip code. Look for availability and see now, now I have to ask a realistic question.

Jenna Ghisolfo  55:05  
Yes, absolutely.

Vonne Solis  55:07  
Like, what is the likelihood that I'm going to find a place that's literally vacant and there's not a year or two or 10 year waiting list?

Jenna Ghisolfo  55:20  
You know, that's a great that's that's a tricky question. Honestly, they're all probably gonna have some sort of wait. Now, 

Vonne Solis  55:26  
Right.

Jenna Ghisolfo  55:26  
I do get properties on occasion that just say, Hey, we've got a vacancy and we've got no wait list, or we've got nobody that qualifies, because it's a three bedroom and we have to have at minimum three people to live in here. So we do get the one-offs. But what I tell people is, get your name on every wait list possible. Because, 

Vonne Solis  55:45  
Okay.

Jenna Ghisolfo  55:46  
you want to obviously have more options available to you than none. Um, some, some and some properties on that website are maybe only going to have two to three months wait, whereas others, if they're in higher demand or larger cities, you might see a one year wait. But again, you don't know what your situation is going to be in one year, so getting your name on that wait list is just, just the best way to start.

Vonne Solis  56:10  
Right. So again, I just want to summarize this and make sure I've got it right, because I feel this is kind of unique what you're doing. Is it?

Jenna Ghisolfo  56:19  
It's, you know, it's not unique, but it's, it's, it's rewarding. That is the best way I can put it. It's just at the end of the day, it's rewarding.

Vonne Solis  56:33  
Well, are there other organizations then doing what you're doing?

Jenna Ghisolfo  56:37  
Non - some nonprofits do what I'm doing to some extent, but there are not as many. No, no, we. We've definitely cornered the markets in in really being those boots on the ground that go into the cities and pull people off the streets and say, here's what we've got. It's a two minute walk from here. Are you interested? You're literally sleeping on the streets, and this building is two feet from you. Are you interested? And you know, honestly, one of the biggest hiccups we see when we're dealing with homeless individuals is that they don't have the proper documentation to then apply, right? They don't have a driver's license, they don't have a birth certificate.

Vonne Solis  57:19  
Right.

Jenna Ghisolfo  57:19  
They don't have the essential documents, and so we at Housing Consultants of America can't help them get those those documents. However, we always have the resources to be able to say, here's your local organization that can get you your birth certificate, that can get you your driver's license, so we always know what those resources are before we go into that community. So we can then share them, because we're just a leeway into housing, but we've got the resources to provide extended circumstances to those individuals.

Vonne Solis  57:49  
Right. So to be clear, there are those that would want to go to the website, affordablehousing.com, and initiate this on their own, and then you've got another avenue, on the ground.

Jenna Ghisolfo  58:01  
Yep.

Vonne Solis  58:01  
On the boots on the ground. And literally, your folks, they work, do they work for your organization?

Jenna Ghisolfo  58:09  
Yep, yep. And so we basically, well, to give you an example, let's say a property in Atlanta is vacant, and they have 100 units that are vacant. We might send a team of four or five individuals to Atlanta for a few weeks or for a month?

Vonne Solis  58:21  
Yes.

Jenna Ghisolfo  58:22  
Say, go fill this property up and and then they start to look around and say, All right, where are the homeless shelters within this area? Where are the nonprofits that have temporary housing that we can tap into, because those are prime tenants for us to pull from.

Vonne Solis  58:37  
Right. Just a quick question, do you guys have domestic shelters in the US, like we do in Canada, that are very secretive? Even if we even if we want to donate furniture, anything, linens, anything you have to know someone who knows someone who knows someone, to get the number to call and say, yes, we'll take their stuff. It's almost to the point it's so secretive that that sometimes I've wanted to donate stuff, and I just can't, because you have to know some stuff anyway, people. But do you also with boots on the ground? So I just want to cover so boots on the ground, this is where you're talking about it might be veterans, definitely homeless. Homeless encompassing any so anyone - that someone from your organization would just go up to them say, Hey, are you, I'm paraphrasing, but hey, are you interested? We've got a place that we could put you in a shelter. Are you interested? And they may or may not say yes.

Jenna Ghisolfo  58:37  
Yep.

Vonne Solis  58:40  
You know depending. If they say yes, then they then they check to make sure they have documents, because you do need the documents to move in and actually quote, well, are they renting a place, or is the place paid for for them?

Jenna Ghisolfo  59:53  
So they're renting a place because they have to pay even if they have no income, right?

Vonne Solis  59:57  
Yeah.

Jenna Ghisolfo  59:58  
So there's a rent amount. So if they have absolutely no income. I mean, we're talking zip, zilch, nothing.

Vonne Solis  1:00:04  
Right.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:00:04  
They pay nothing in rent. But if they, let's say, are receiving Social Security or retirement or whatever, they might have a pension, even if that's a non minimal amount? We're only going to look at 30% of that and say that's all you're going to pay in rent when you move into this property. Then the rest of it is going to be government-subsidized. And then if, all of a sudden, tomorrow, you get a job making $50, $60,000 a year, then we're going to adjust your rent based on what you're actually making,

Vonne Solis  1:00:33  
Right. So how successful is this program that you your organization? I'm just saying the program itself? Not the organ, but the program. How successful is this? Like, are a lot of of developer stakeholders coming up with buildings that they can offer? Like, when you say, as an example, 100 units. Like, is was that realistic? Or is that?

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:00:59  
Yes, that literally, very real, very realistic, anywhere between 50 to 150 is realistic for a developer to buy or to build. But you know, like you mentioned, it's, it's it's hard to find for developers and providers. The funding is, is being decreased each year. So the the more and more that we can produce, it's the funding is being cut. So we're we're struggling, and we have to get kind of creative then in our partnerships, our funding structures. But you know, certainly when we do get these new buildings released, we are having a field day, leasing them up.

Vonne Solis  1:01:42  
I think I read in Canada, I kid you not, that they're converting a prison to condos.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:01:49  
See?

Vonne Solis  1:01:49  
Now I don't know who's going in. So a couple of examples when I mentioned and we're at the top of the hour. So I'm going to ask one more question after this, but I just want to say about the tiny house, containers, 3D. So I know. So in Canada here, we're not allowed to have tiny homes unless they're on wheels, but even then, you have to have somewhere to park it. Okay? And blah, blah, blah. And so I am a huge fan of tiny house communities, and I would love to see Crown land. So in Canada, we're having the conversation about donating buildings, Crown buildings, federal buildings, that aren't being used, or selling them off to developers or whatever, blah, blah, blah. But let's actually also take some land and allow people to live in tiny houses that aren't on wheels. There are very successful communities, I believe they're allowed in the States, or at least some States, because I've seen some YouTubes and in some other countries. 3D printing. If you ever watched 3D printing.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:01:49  
Isn't that fantastic?

Vonne Solis  1:02:01  
I would live in a cement 3D house.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:02:36  
Oh, I totally would, too.

Vonne Solis  1:02:58  
Would you?

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:02:59  
Yes.

Vonne Solis  1:03:00  
So they're fast, and they're much cheaper, half the cost, or more or more of a traditional build. And so why don't, why isn't that industry, you know?

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:03:11  
Yes, well and the other one that is very popular, like you mentioned, is containers, right? The shipping containers? Um, there's a project here in Phoenix that is made all out of shipping containers that were just simply stacked on top of one another and then kind of modified a little bit. The downside to those is it's more cost-prohibited, because the initial upfront costs for those isn't, the cost for them hasn't dwindled down to an affordable cost for

Vonne Solis  1:03:42  
Really. 

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:03:43  
low-income families just yet. So once that happens, or once grants start becoming available, moreso for the tiny homes. And I think that just takes legislation to just say we're gonna we're gonna allow this rather than an apartment. Why can't we allow a tiny home or a container where we're recycling our materials. It makes sense, makes sense, but it is, it is in the works. It is absolutely in the works.

Vonne Solis  1:04:10  
So in Calgary. I don't know if you've heard of Calgary, Alberta.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:04:13  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:04:14  
Okay. It's just down from Arizona. I've been to Arizona numerous, numerous times. Calgary is in the process of just finishing a it'll be an eight, I believe it's an eight-story container we'll call it, they call it an apartment complex. It's right downtown, and they've stacked them as well.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:04:36  
Yep.

Vonne Solis  1:04:36  
And so you have a container and another container, so front to back, and then up. And I think it's eight stories. Anyway, I read an article about two weeks ago, so it's happening. So the downside of it is, and this is a stigma thing. It can and I'm just going to be really honest, okay? When a city decides to do this and you do mixed income. Mixed economics. Mixed everything. I love Gen Z has this situationship, word.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:05:07  
Right?

Vonne Solis  1:05:08  
Have you heard that? You must have.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:05:10  
Who came up with that right? Situationship? I want to know.

Vonne Solis  1:05:14  
Gen Z.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:05:15  
There you go. Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:05:16  
And they're doing it because I have a situationship at my job. I don't want to be here forever. I just want your job for three or four months and then let me grow and go.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:05:27  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:05:28  
But anyway, um, so I'm having a bit of fun with that. But so, you know, cities and and I also believe housing has been very politicized in our country and making it red tape and things like that. So in in our municipalities and so on and so forth, the developers will get grants from the feds, but they lose them if they don't build the quota.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:05:53  
Correct, correct. Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:05:55  
And where I live, it's very expensive. And so to get the people here, and then to get the people off the streets. You know, there are a number of things, but you know, it can still cause a beautiful domino effect when you just get started and do this work. Is there anything else you want to say about that? I want to close off with you talking a little bit about Mrs. Arizona. Love it as your platform. Let's be clear, unless you love being in beauty pageants, but you won Mrs. Arizona?

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:06:25  
Yes, Mrs. United States of America, of America, Arizona. And I, you know, now I go in March, the end of March, to compete for nationals in Las Vegas. And you know, it's all about just standing for, not only my platform in homelessness, because, as we know, talking about homelessness, it's not a sexy topic that a lot of people like to talk about, but I'm trying to bring awareness to a subject that is just it hits every community. It's not like we mentioned. There's only a few nations that don't have this, and so it's a subject that I'm just trying to make people more aware of in their communities, to support the individuals who need the support.

Vonne Solis  1:07:08  
Yeah, it's really like, I think part of the problem in homelessness is that they don't know how to solve it. That's that's just a fact. And I live in central Vancouver Island, and about just before the covid, we actually had an area that turned into a tent city here.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:07:30  
Oh, wow.

Vonne Solis  1:07:31  
Yeah. And it lasted - it wasn't a pretty look. So we're just an hour and 15 minutes north of Victoria. So most people have heard of Victoria BC, right? So I'm in the middle of the island, and our little city isn't as sexy as Victoria and it's not as touristy and stuff like that. And that's just the way we want it. But it became a problem. And what happened when it became a tent city is people came in from elsewhere in the province and maybe in Canada, more and more tents. There happened to be some abuse issues that happened. Some not very nice things that happened. A fire that happened to, you know, you know, because we, we don't have very, very cold winters here. But you know, anyway, so what they did, and we're talking about six years ago now, is they did take a section of, I guess the city owned this property off of, off a off a major street. And when I say major street, it's a little four lane street, and it's our busiest street. But, you know, we have 100,000 people, so we're not exactly in the woods, but you know, it's not a huge city, and they housed them in containers. And they put, now they weren't stacked, and they've put a fence around it, you know, about an eight foot fence. And for about the first year or two, you know, if we drove by, we would often see a cop there, you know, whatever. But the last several years, it's like, just a peaceful, I guess, little community. 

And so that's another solution. Is they find these areas that cities will donate or whatever, and then they find the people who are willing and want to have their own little home. And I don't know what they're doing for money, but just like you talked about, our city has, you know, like the people to address all the different support areas, so

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:09:26  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:09:26  
to the professionals. And I think that's another wonderful way. So I mean, containers have their place for us they do and and in many ways, they're very small. They're not huge, massive containers. They're still quite small. But you know, in general, I don't know how many organizations are working in Canada like yours is because that's not an issue I follow, and this is the first time I've talked about this issue on my podcast, but which is only three years old. I. But I thought it was so appropriate, because I wanted to say, on a bit of a closing note, is, you know, anything culturally that is a sore eye or an eyesore, we call it. It's a problem for all of us.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:10:13  
Yes, absolutely.

Vonne Solis  1:10:15  
You know, and I lived downtown when they had the tent city, and we walked everywhere, walked to appointments and walked to coffee and blah, blah, blah, you know. And we have a beautiful, beautiful sea walk, and it was becoming a problem when people were parking themselves on the sea walk, and which is our one big tourist draw kind of thing. And, well, there's many, but that's one, and it felt dangerous. And then over the aspect of those that are living on the streets and do have mental health problems and, you know, on drugs and stuff it,

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:10:52  
Yeah.

Vonne Solis  1:10:53  
it became a little bit scary, and they cleaned it up here. I just want to say they cleaned it up. Now, when one says they cleaned it up, it was true. A portion of them found another area of the downtown and parked themselves there. So I don't know my husband is involved with the city and community association, and he meets with city council, and he does stay up to date with other community associations, of which you know they want membership and volunteers from residential areas to address problems and and that's one way of finding out, are they camping in our parks? Are they living in cars on their streets, which some people were sleeping in their cars. So it's just to be aware, and we don't have the answers. But what what you're doing is a huge step forward to educating, awareness and making it okay to talk about other than if you're just an official that's working in the business and trying to solve a problem.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:11:51  
Isn't it? That is so true. That is so true.

Vonne Solis  1:11:54  
We don't talk about it. Do we talk about it over, you know, chai latte and how do we fix this problem? No, it just remains one of those stigmas that you're glad it isn't you.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:12:04  
That is, that is the best way to put it, that is the best way to put it. As long as it doesn't bother me or impact my life. we kind of just push it to the side and we don't talk about it.

Vonne Solis  1:12:13  
Yeah. And we do have an issue, I just want to say on closing like we do have a quite a community of valivers an on the West Coast. and it's because they can't afford rent. So they live in their vans, and they might park in Walmart, and then municipalities are responsible for whether or not people, oh, and the other thing is, people are moving into recreation RV sites.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:12:39  
That is it. That is a huge another avenue. You're right.

Vonne Solis  1:12:43  
But they're also managing that, because then you're breaking the law and they're only supposed to be for tourists and only for seasonal and you know, so you've got the fight of them having to move out of their fifth wheel and park it somewhere else. So this is an issue. It's not just even being homeless, it's not being able to afford rent, folks.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:13:05  
Yes.

Vonne Solis  1:13:05  
That is a huge issue, and so your company addresses that as well. So I really want to just end with asking if there's anything else you'd like to just talk about, if I missed? Otherwise, it's been very informative.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:13:19  
We've had a great conversation. This has been a great chat. I love it.

Vonne Solis  1:13:23  
Yeah, me too. Did I miss anything? Did you want to leave our audience?

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:13:28  
You covered everything , and it's been such a pleasure. And just just to describe you know, the end all messages, no matter what situation you're in, there are community resources, whether it's from your family or outside community, there is always support for you. Sometimes you just have to be able to ask for that help or know where to go for those resources.

Vonne Solis  1:13:50  
Yeah, and circling right back to where we opened up, it does start with you folks. You have to propel yourself, or at least take that first tiny step and then watch yourself, watch yourself propel.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:14:03  
Yes.

Vonne Solis  1:14:04  
Into a life that you know maybe you even dreamed about and maybe you didn't know where it was going to take you. And Jenna and I, and I'm sure millions of others are examples of this, and so I thank you, Jenna, for sharing your story, and for all you've accomplished. You're amazing, amazing, and I'm really, really proud to have you on my show and share this episode and at least contribute to the conversation.

Jenna Ghisolfo  1:14:30  
Well, thank you Vonne for having me. It was a pleasure, and I'm glad we got to connect.

Vonne Solis  1:14:34  
Me too. Okay.