Natalie Metzger-Smit has over ten years of experience working on homelessness policy and is currently focused on supporting HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grants CARES Act (ESG-CV) funded communities across the country with technical assistance (TA) on initiatives to prevent and end homelessness. Her expertise is in runaway and homeless youth and implementing creative strategies in communities that are recipients of HUD Youth Homeless Demonstration Plan (YHDP) funds. Natalie’s broad experience developing and implementing social policy in academia, managing federal contracts for a homeless youth agency, and now as a TA provider, gives her a unique perspective when helping communities build capacity and implement best practices. In addition to HUD, Ms. Metzger-Smit also has experience delivering services and providing TA for programs funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Treasury, and numerous state funding streams. She sits on advisory boards of multiple nonprofits that focus on homelessness, and currently resides in Oakland, CA. She received her Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Oregon.