We are proud to feature Olyvia Brown-Coles, a member of our third HLI Cohort. As the Director of Homeless System Coordination at Miriam’s House in Lynchburg, Olyvia leads regional efforts to strengthen the homeless response system through coordinated entry, data management, strategic planning, and cross-sector collaboration. But her work extends beyond any single role: she is equally committed to research, currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Administration at Virginia Tech, where she examines administrative burden, frontline implementation, and equity in housing systems. This combination of systems leadership, direct service experience, and rigorous research gives her a rare vantage point—she understands both the granular realities of serving people in crisis and the structural barriers that make systems inequitable.
Olyvia sees her work as fundamentally about dismantling barriers. Whether she’s wrestling with coordinated entry implementation, analyzing data to surface disparities, or bringing together community partners to solve a problem with no easy solution, she approaches each challenge with both intellectual rigor and genuine compassion for the people those systems serve. Her career hasn’t followed a straight path, but that winding journey—from undergraduate observations about community disparities to an unexpected VISTA placement to leadership in a field she didn’t initially plan to enter—has shaped a leader deeply committed to systems change grounded in equity.
Q: What sparked your interest in understanding housing as a systems issue?
There wasn’t one defining moment that inspired my interest in affordable housing; it developed over time. I remember traveling from Norfolk to Lynchburg during my undergraduate years and noticing the stark differences in development and investment between communities. As I began paying closer attention to Lynchburg, I saw what felt like a “tale of two cities” playing out along Rivermont Avenue where differences in housing and neighborhood conditions reflected much larger disparities in opportunity.
I began to understand that housing is more than a roof over someone’s head. Housing is a platform for accessing other forms of capital—human, social, economic—and can fundamentally shape a person’s trajectory and even lifespan. That realization made me want to be part of creating systems where safe, stable, and affordable housing is accessible to marginalized and underrepresented communities.
That commitment has continued to shape both my academic research and professional practice, where my focus is on understanding and addressing the barriers that make housing systems inequitable and working toward more accessible, equitable outcomes.
Q: In your role coordinating the homeless response system, what does that actually look like day-to-day?
I currently serve as the Director of Homeless System Coordination at Miriam’s House, where I lead coordination for the Central Virginia Continuum of Care (CoC), a regional homeless response system serving the City of Lynchburg and surrounding counties.
My primary responsibilities include CoC leadership and governance, system coordination, HMIS and data management, coordinated entry, policy development, performance improvement, and cross-sector partnership development. I work closely with community organizations, government and housing partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen the homeless response system, align resources with community needs, and advance strategic priorities.
I also oversee system-level initiatives such as data analysis and performance measurement, development of policies and standard operating procedures, implementation of coordinated entry and referrals, training and technical assistance for frontline providers, and strategic planning. A significant part of my role is translating data and community needs into actionable strategies that improve system outcomes and access to housing.
Overall, my role sits at the intersection of strategic leadership, systems change, data-informed decision-making, policy, and community partnership, with the goal of creating a more effective and equitable housing and homeless response system.
Q: What’s a moment from your work that stays with you?
Working on the system side of homeless response rarely provides opportunities to work directly with clients. My focus is ultimately on ensuring the system is functioning well and accessible to everyone, but occasionally, I have the opportunity to see firsthand how that work translates into someone’s life.
One experience that stands out involved a person facing a housing crisis who was unable to access resources because of a language barrier. In that moment, I refused to let language be the reason someone was denied access to a system I work so hard to make equitable. I brought together community partners, friends, and even friends of friends to help translate documents and serve as ad hoc interpreters. Together, we were able to get the individual into shelter to address their immediate housing crisis and connect them with longer-term housing resources.
A system is only equitable if people can actually access it. I believe housing is a basic human right, and sometimes advancing that belief means finding a way around the barriers in front of you, even when the solution isn't already built into the system.
Q: How do you see the future of affordable housing evolving?
I choose to be an optimist because the research is increasingly showing us that affordable, accessible housing is possible when communities are willing to approach it differently.
I see the field evolving toward solutions that are more tailored to the unique housing challenges of individual communities rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
I also believe housing will become an increasingly important topic in local, state, and federal elections. The more we recognize that housing is connected to nearly every aspect of our lives, the more it becomes a shared priority. Housing influences education, workforce participation, economic development, health, transportation, and community stability.
As a result, I expect the field to become increasingly interdisciplinary, bringing together professionals and leaders from sectors that may not traditionally see themselves as part of the housing field. Housing is where so many of our community priorities ultimately land, and I believe the field will grow as more people recognize that strengthening housing strengthens communities as a whole.
Q: What motivates you to do this work?
The work can be challenging, particularly when working alongside people experiencing crisis at the intersection of so many human vulnerabilities. Yet, what I find most rewarding is being part of someone’s journey from crisis to stability. I value the relationships and connections built along the way, but most of all, I find purpose in knowing that I am contributing to solutions rather than perpetuating the problems.
This work constantly challenges me to ask: How can we make the most of the work we are doing, and what more can we do to advocate for better? For me, the reward is knowing that each connection, partnership, and systems-level change can help create a more accessible and equitable path to housing stability for someone else.
Q: How do you keep going when the challenges feel overwhelming?
My motivation comes from deeply held values of justice, service, and creating more equitable systems. The challenges I encounter are not reasons to step away from the work; they are reminders of why the work matters and why I need to keep advocating for what is right.
Seeing people in my own community and in communities I visit experiencing homelessness, along with the data showing the growing affordability crisis across Virginia and the nation, continually reaffirms the purpose behind my work. It reminds me that these are not abstract issues. They are real experiences affecting real people. That connection to both the people and the purpose is what keeps me motivated and committed to the work.
Q: How would you sum up your experience with HLI in one sentence?
My experience with HLI has been illuminating and reaffirming, giving me greater clarity about my leadership strengths while helping me see my areas for growth not as deficits, but as launching points for continued development.
Q: What has HLI clarified for you as a leader?
The first few sessions of HLI have focused heavily on identity, and through that process, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of who I am, why I lead the way I do, and how to show up authentically in spaces where I’m called to lead.
Self-promotion is not self-aggrandizing. It is about being willing to recognize, articulate, and advocate for the value you bring.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that I have to believe in myself and my leadership before I can expect others to believe in me.
Q: How are you going to put what you’ve learned into practice?
I’ve already started! Through the LPI assessment and HLI experience, I’ve gained greater clarity about my leadership strengths and areas for growth. I’m applying those insights to become more effective in my current role, strengthen how I lead, and intentionally position myself for the next stage of my career. HLI has also helped me better articulate my career goals so that what I pursue today not only reflects where I am but aligns with where I want to go in the future.
Q: How did you end up here? Your path to housing work is pretty unique.
My career in housing started somewhat unexpectedly. As an undergraduate traveling from Norfolk to Lynchburg, I remember noticing the stark differences in development between communities, which sparked my curiosity about housing and opportunity. Years later, after graduate school and struggling to find a job, I accepted a Virginia Housing Alliance AmeriCorps VISTA placement in 2019. I never expected that opportunity to lead me into a career in homeless response, but it ultimately shaped both my professional path and my academic research interests.
Today, I’m back at the same organization where I completed my VISTA placement, and, full circle, am participating in another Virginia Housing Alliance opportunity to expand my leadership in the field. What started as an observation during a road trip and an unexpected opportunity after graduate school has become a career focused on making housing systems more equitable and accessible.
This year, Olyvia is being recognized as a recipient of the Virginia Housing Alliance’s Emerging Leader Award at our annual awards ceremony in October—a well-deserved honor reflecting her visionary work and commitment to systems change in our field.
About the Housing Leadership Institute
The Housing Leadership Institute (HLI) is a 10-month intensive and targeted program created and implemented by the Virginia Housing Alliance. The Alliance and its partners designed the program to leverage training, coaching, and peer support. Each year, we help 15 mid-career housing professionals foster and grow leadership skills. Through the program, participants create a career development plan to catalyze their leadership trajectory.
The program consists of 7 virtual sessions, 3 in-person retreats across the Commonwealth, 5 one-on-one coaching sessions, readings and reflections to supplement each session, and additional networking and professional development opportunities.
Learn more about HLI or contact Arley Bell at abell@vahousingalliance.org.