Big News From the Big Apple

02/25/2025

We live in a new era, and the stories we tell, who tells them and the platforms we share them on are shaping the narrative landscape. That’s why the Housing Narrative Lab and the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness launched the I ♥️ Home: NYC Story Exchange. Together, we are showing what it looks like to invest in content creators, artists and writers telling their stories across different platforms.

Why? Because we know that stories change the world. They build connection and trust with others, they bring others into our journeys and they move people to action. Through this program, six storytellers will create and share stories about housing insecurity and homelessness in New York City. Their stories will explore the housing issues impacting the city and highlight solutions so every New Yorker has the dignity and safety of a stable home.  

These diverse storytellers use a range of mediums, from social media, video and photography to podcasting and spoken word. We can’t wait to share their stories with you.

Meet the six members of our inaugural  I ♥️ Home: NYC Story Exchange

Diamond Alegarbes | Instagram

My name is Diamond Alegarbes and me and my now oneyear old son are victims of homelessness. I’m from Brooklyn, New York where I was shown no mercy on the streets. I went through a lot to find housing in New York and most nights I prayed for a place to call home; to call mine. A home to me is a person’s safe haven. Later in the year of 2024 I got connected with an organization known as Anthos Homes and they helped me to get my first apartment and more! I wanna tell my story through social media to help bring hope to people who went through what I went through. There’s always a rainbow after every storm.

Rodrigo Brandao | Instagram

Rodrigo Brandao is a filmmaker, video artist, and communications professional working on climate, environmental and social justice issues. Among other projects, Brandao is currently directing and editing “70 Fox” (co-directed by Shruti Parekh), a short documentary on gentrification and the final moments of a Brooklyn collective, and working on a video series about housing justice in New York City.

Previously, he was Director of Communications at The Intercept, oversaw media strategy for Kino Lorber’s feature film releases, and established Cinema Slate, a film distribution label focused on Latin American cinema. He has taught workshops on film production and distribution and participated in several film festival panel discussions and jury selection committees. 

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brandão began his communications studies at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and earned degrees from Ithaca College in Cinema and Photography (B.S.) and Art History (B.A.).

Kadisha Davis | Instagram YouTube

Kadisha Davis has been pushing for coordinated efforts focused on the needs of families experiencing housing instability and strengthening the partnership between the community of families with lived experience and key decision makers, particularly in New York City. Ms. Davis holds her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at SUNY Plattsburgh.

As a lived expert, she advocates for those at risk of and currently experiencing homelessness, ensuring information and resources are widely disseminated to reach the people who need it most. Ms. Davis helps to lift the voices of the people by sharing their stories and circulating key resources through various social media platforms, including a podcast channel, “Hear Our Voices” and using her experience to be a champion in ending homelessness.

Nedelyn Helena-Diaz

I’m a nursing student passionate about sharing stories of hope and testimonies that inspire. To me, home is more than just a physical space — it’s a sanctuary. It’s where I study to build my future, prepare nourishing meals, rest, express my emotions, celebrate life’s blessings, worship, and find peace amidst the constant bustle of New York City.

For the past two years, I’ve been a youth homelessness advocate with the Youth Action Board, using my lived experience to help others navigate the challenges of housing insecurity. As a member, I’ve worked to empower and guide youth facing homelessness, advocating for the support they need to overcome these complex struggles.

What brings me the most joy is supporting others and helping them find purpose in their lives. Whether it’s lending a hand, sharing a story that sparks hope, or simply being present in someone’s time of need, I feel most fulfilled when I can make a meaningful impact.

I currently express myself through Instagram content creation and writing, but I’m always eager to explore new mediums to expand my creativity and skills. Whether it’s through photography, video, or other artistic forms, I’m excited to grow as both an artist and a storyteller.

Njambi Morgan | Instagram

Njambi Morgan is a Kenyan storyteller, spoken word artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. Born in London and raised in Kenya, her work is rooted in personal experience and cultural heritage, and is a testament to resilience and healing through art.

As a mother and advocate for housing-insecure communities, Njambi amplifies marginalized voices, honoring struggle and celebrating joy as acts of resistance. Her projects, The Things We Held Onto and Baba’s Love, challenge narratives and highlight the beauty in resilience. Her work has been featured at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and in The New York Times, inspiring empathy and connection through every lens, word, and frame.

Zenayah Roaché

Zenayah Roaché brings over six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, driven by her passion for improving the lives of individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. As a person with lived experience (PLE), growing up in various housing arrangements in Harlem such as shelter and doubling up, she is dedicated to creating innovative policies and programs in this field but more importantly, amplifying the stories of young New Yorkers who go through similar challenges. An alumna of Columbia University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, Zenayah is currently pursuing a MPA at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) with a focus on Housing Policy. She aims to integrate her personal, professional, and academic experiences to further become a holistic expert in housing and homelessness.

Beyond these accolades, Zenayah is a visionary whose true purpose is to share stories, both her own and others, to highlight the homeless youth experience that is often overlooked in the media. Oftentimes, the narrative of homelessness is relegated to older adults, siloing the pertinent existence of young people who have similar realities. By injecting the world of digital media through podcasting, Zenayah hopes to humanize the young people experiencing homelessness and increase the general ideology of homelessness to an epidemic impacting the young, the old, and the future. Through this work, Zenayah seeks to contribute to a future where everyone has a home that is safe, affordable, stable, nourishing, and healing — the version of home that our ancestors enjoyed.