Emily Paulsen believes that housing is a human right and is determined to build a community where everyone has a safe place to call home. She has served as the executive director of the Nevada Homeless Alliance since 2016 and is currently an instructor at the UNLV School of Social Work, with the goal of inspiring the next generation of social workers and advocates.
Last year, under Paulsen’s leadership, the NHA became a PPE distribution center, providing critical supplies to shelters, food banks, homeless outreach teams and directly to homeless community members. They distributed more than 30,000 masks.
Paulsen has over a decade of experience as a street outreach worker, case manager, permanent housing manager and homeless systems innovator, with expertise in evidence-based interventions, program development and policy. In 2020, she was named a Jameson Fellow and received the ACLU of Nevada’s Community Advocate Award.