Austin Nikole Puca on Clubhouse

Bio

Biographies are strange to me, meaning I generally leave them blank.

I live in my body, a Sephardic bi-BIWOC; a mother/nurturer of- humans, animals, and plants.

I support my community and family in my work administering federal grants for our local continuum of care. Most directly, I people experiencing houselessness and housing instability through the administration of federal funding to housing service providers. I provide training, education, and technical assistance related to HUD, OMB, CFR guidance aka federal regulations.

Prior to my work in local government, I managed housing programs for an AIDS service organization and was in leadership & community with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Projects.

Though I no longer work in direct service, I’m motivated and inspired by opportunities to share resources and knowledge related to staff development, program management, motivational interviewing, crisis intervention & deescalation, intimate partner violence & safety planning, housing quality standards, harm reduction, medical case management, trauma informed care/culture, and family/natural support engagement.

In the spaces between, I really enjoy cooking, growing in yoga, listening to songs on repeat for weeks on end, listening to all of the music, dancing-modern mostly, lyrical if I’m feeling brave. In the spaces that surround, unlearning adultism to allow me to responsibly & authentically parent my two children.

Poly-polly. Honestly & wholly loving and practicing marriage for twelve years; lovers for fourteen, six, & three. Honored to hold space and witness those un/learning, navigating, healing, and cycle breaking.

Okay, I think I did it!
Oh, I’m Austin- she/her 💛