Episode 77

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Published on:

7th Jul 2025

From Crisis to Community: Tackling Homelessness with Justin Campbell

America’s homelessness crisis is staggering—32,000 veterans and 150,000 children are without homes, and the numbers are rising. In this episode, hosts Jeremy Alexander Newsome and Dave Conley sit down with Justin Campbell, Chaplain for Aerial Recovery, to explore the root causes behind this crisis: housing shortages, addiction, and the erosion of community support. Drawing from his disaster relief work, Justin shares powerful insights on the need for social networks and human connection. Together, they discuss practical solutions—from leveraging churches to rethinking policy—that could turn the tide. This is a candid, solution-focused look at one of America’s toughest challenges.

Timestamps

  • (00:00) Introduction: The Homelessness Crisis in America
  • (01:24) Interview with Justin Campbell: A Unique Perspective on Homelessness
  • (03:23) Key Drivers of the Crisis: Housing, Addiction, and Community Breakdown
  • (05:59) Housing Supply and Demand: Why There’s a Shortage
  • (07:11) Disaster Relief and Homelessness: Lessons from the Frontlines
  • (08:53) Veterans and Homelessness: Why the System is Failing Our Heroes
  • (15:40) Community as a Solution: The Power of Human Connection


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Transcript
Jerremy Newsome:

Dave, what are we discussing in this episode?

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Dave Conley: In this week's episode

of Solving America's Problems, we

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dig into a crisis hitting hundreds of

thousands of Americans homelessness

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with numbers like 32,000 homeless

veterans and 150,000 homeless kids.

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It's a problem that's tough to ignore.

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So what's the catch?

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What's driving this and

how do we actually fix it?

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Joining us is Justin Campbell

Chaplain for aerial recovery.

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They deploy humanitarian and

special operators to disaster zones

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worldwide, giving Justin a front

row seat to the systemic breakdowns

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that can lead to homelessness.

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Together we'll dig into the root

causes, housing shortages, addiction,

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societal choices, and explore real

solutions that could turn the tide.

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And that's this week on

solving America's problems from

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crisis to community, tackling

Homelessness with Justin Campbell.

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Jerremy Newsome: The numbers

are still staggering.

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America is letting down its heroes.

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32,000 homeless veterans.

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150,000 kids.

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Yes, kids.

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Our homeless in America, which

is up 33% in just a single year.

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We are spending billions of dollars as

a country, but the crisis keeps growing.

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I'm Jerremy Alexander Newsom alongside

my co-host Dave Conley, and this

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is Solving America's Problems.

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Today we're sitting down

with Justin Campbell.

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Justin is a chaplain for a recovery,

A recovery trains and deploys

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humanitarian special operators to

respond to natural and main MA manmade

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disasters to combat sex trafficking.

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It is made up of veterans

and first responders from the

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Heal the Heroes Initiative.

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A Recovery tackles some of the

most difficult rescue and response

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missions across the globe.

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He also happens to be a profound real

estate specialist, a dear friend of

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mine, and just an incredible human being.

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Justin, thanks for

being on the show today.

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Justin: Oh man.

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What a gift.

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What a gift.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yes, it is.

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I'm gonna start opening up with

some questions, and again to

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you, but also maybe even to,

uh, to my boy Dave back there.

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Dave Conley: Sure.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yeah.

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Justin, the numbers are staggering.

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There's 771,000 homeless people in

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From your vantage point, what are some

of the key drivers of this crisis?

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Justin: Oh man, what a massive

question to start us off with.

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Well, as, as you know, asking a

question like, you know, what's, what's

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driving homelessness is kind of like

saying what drives poverty or disease?

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It's so multifaceted.

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It's hard to pinpoint.

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I mean, there's, there's social issues.

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There's systemic racism issues.

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There's uh, I mean, you think

fatherlessness in the U us is

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a massive, I mean, there's,

there's so many different things.

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Economically with interest rates,

making it more difficult for first time

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homeowners lack of inventory with housing.

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I mean, there's so many different issues.

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You pick one.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yeah

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Dave Conley: that, that is

certainly what we've heard so far.

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You know, we've talked to people

who've been homeless, we've talked

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to people who help, and it's not,

there's not one thing, right?

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It's a, it's a million different

things that cause us it tends to fall

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under a few different categories.

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One of them is just bad luck.

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Like the, you're hit with a,

with a bill, you cannot pay

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you know, often a medical debt.

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And you're in a relationship that's

abusive and and you're gonna find

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yourself really on the street.

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If you have no social network family's

not there, or you're in the wrong

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place and you're just trying, and

there is no place that will take you.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Jerremy Newsome: Let's start with one

of those that you mentioned, Justin.

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'Cause I, I don't know if that's the, know

if that's a huge culprit, but maybe it is.

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'cause you're in the world so much.

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Right.

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You mentioned a supply of

housing or lack of supply.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Jerremy Newsome: There's only

771,000 people that are homeless.

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Like we don't have 7, 770 1000 homes

available in the US for people to live in.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Probably a deficit of that

of what's needed right now.

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Yeah.

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I don't have the exact numbers that,

that's not my forte with, with building

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and whatnot, but, I think what I'm, what

I'm hearing is there's even, so let's

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just take something that I do know about.

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I, I'm in Montana, we're in Cascade

County, uh, in the town of Great

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Falls, Montana 60,000 people.

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And in our town alone, we're about 6,000

housing units short of what the demand is.

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That's insane.

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Jerremy Newsome: Wow.

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That is, yeah.

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Yeah.

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That's fascinating.

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Um, where did that, in your

opinion, where did that start?

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Was that a COVID issue?

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Because we know that there are huge

demand spike for homes and COVID.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Jerremy Newsome: Did it, was there

some other supply chain issue that

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spiked it or was it interest rates

related, or what's your opinion on that?

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Justin: Yeah.

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I think it, it's, again,

a multifaceted issue.

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You've got, uh, city planning has a part

to it with whatever the city planning

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kind of their vision is for, for the area.

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You've gotta fall under their guidelines

and what they're wanting to see.

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They kind of have the

capacity to cap building.

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You know, you do have

what we saw in COVID.

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We saw a massive influx of

people to Montana in General.

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General Great Falls alone.

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We went from a steady 2% appreciation

rate for decades, and then

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starting in, in, since COVID,

it's been about 24% appreciation.

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So it's just, it's just supply and demand.

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We've got so many more

people looking for housing.

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Uh, it's made it very, very

difficult for especially first

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time homeowners in this area.

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Dave Conley: So is it a lack of homes

or is it a lack of affordable homes?

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Like, I'm trying to figure

out what the 6,000 is.

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Like if I showed up in, in Montana

and built 6,000 homes, I'm hearing

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that I would have immediately

immediate demand for them.

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Justin: Yeah.

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I mean, there are different class

homes that, that meet different needs.

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But, and that's not just talking

about, homes to purchase.

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We're also talking about rentals

and some, some people, they don't

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have a desire to buy a home.

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But we're rental U unit, short

housing unit, short, all of it.

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Jerremy Newsome: Wow.

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So Justin, with your background as

chaplain for a recovery the, the

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work that you, the work that you

initiate with our veterans, with

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our first responders, especially

through the Heal to Heroes initiative,

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Justin: Yeah,

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Jerremy Newsome: have you, I.

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Experience or a story that really stuck

with you regarding homelessness, and

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especially as it relates to our veterans?

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Justin: that's a great question.

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I don't know that I do, honestly, just

with, with the Heal to Heroes program.

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I know we've had some veterans that

have struggled with homelessness,

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uh, but by the time they go through

our program, typically that's, that's

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not the, that's not the dominant

issue that's being presented.

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Dave Conley: So what

about on the flip side?

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I don't know much about arrow recovery.

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I know Jerremy you, you certainly

know a lot more than I do.

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The, you're dropped into

disaster situations too.

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So this is houselessness.

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I, these are people who've, who've

experienced, uh, you know, something

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and now they don't have a home.

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Is that, is that also true?

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Justin: That is true.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So one of the facets of aerial

recovery, we do disaster relief.

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Hurricane Helene, uh, that hit

North Carolina, that region last

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year left so many people houseless.

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Um, so that's certainly natural

disasters can play a big role in that.

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Dave Conley: So what are the kind

of stresses that, somebody might

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have, being in a disaster situation,

not having their stuff, not being

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able to put a roof over their head.

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What's it like for them?

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Justin: Yeah.

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Well, you think about, uh, loss of

home, you think of loss of community,

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uh, you think of loss of resources,

uh, loss of income, all sorts of,

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uh, it could be medical situations,

all sorts of different stressors.

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Yeah.

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Dave Conley: And what do you think

that those people need the most?

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I mean, coming in as a chaplain,

you know, like, you're there

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you're there to heal that spirit.

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What's the, uh, you know,

what are the biggest needs for

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folks facing these disasters?

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Justin: Yeah.

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Well, you go into a situation and,

and typically we'll come under local

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governing authorities, and a lot

of times we're triaging problems.

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And so what's the most immediate need?

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You just lost a part of your roof.

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All right, let's tarp your roof so

that you can live in your house.

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Uh, you've got medical emergency.

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Okay, we'll triage that.

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Let's make sure this person

gets the care that they need.

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And so a big part of what we're

doing is we're triaging in the

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midst of a, a disaster situation.

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Providing for the most immediate need.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yeah.

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And we do.

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We're the best in the world at it.

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I would like

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Justin: That's right.

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Jerremy Newsome: we are incredible at

working with some of America's most

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trained and equipped, veterans, but

I've heard this man time and time

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again from so many of the people that,

that I work with, that you work with,

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that that are homeless or have been

homeless at some point in the past.

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Again, of that number, that

771,000, 32,000 of them are vets.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Jerremy Newsome: part of the system is

seemingly failing the veterans the most

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from just the stories that you've heard?

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Is it the va?

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Is it lack of care?

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Is it, I mean, why would a veteran

not be able to go to the VA

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And just go, yo, bro, I'm homeless,

I have no money, and they go, got it.

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You're taken care of.

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Justin: Yeah.

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Well, I think part of it goes down

to we've thrown around two terms.

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We've thrown around homelessness and

we've thrown around houselessness,

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and it's possible to be houseless.

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Uh, you know, we our mutual great friend,

Brittany Faith Turner, was houseless.

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She was driven by purpose.

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She had her purpose.

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She was there pursuing her purpose.

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So it's possible to be houseless,

but homelessness is such more of

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a, a systemic issue as far as, I

almost think the difference between

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the two is, is when you're homeless,

you've almost lost your community.

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You've lost your support system.

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And I think that's what we're seeing a lot

with our veterans is they, they exit the

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military and that's their support system.

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That's their community,

that's their brotherhood.

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And so it's not that there are not

resources available, it's that they're

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not resourced with ongoing community.

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And I almost see that as, as one of

the biggest issues that's causing

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homelessness in our society today.

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There's, there's just a lack

of community and relationship.

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I.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yes.

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I love the distinguishing

of those two words.

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I brought that up in previous episodes.

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You're 100% correct.

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I mean, there, there is a very unique

difference and the houseless, right, is

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like, you don't have a home, you don't

have a physical object to sleep under.

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But if you have a purpose,

it's probably okay.

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We talked to a previous, um, a platoon 10.

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Attendee Kara, and she

was houseless, right?

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She lived in her car

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Justin: Yeah.

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Powerful lady right there.

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Jerremy Newsome: Incredible, yeah.

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Incredible.

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And she lived in her car just

like Brittany as well, and

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Dave Conley: her, with her

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Jerremy Newsome: with her child,

and told us just a remarkable story.

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Not only heroism, but just the

ability to keep going and to keep

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showing up and to keep trying

and just and foresaw forethought.

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But then if we really, really revert to

your pur your statement about purpose

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and individuals who are homeless,

probably a lot of them are afflicted

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with lack of purpose, which is gonna

stem from being in poverty, right?

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Those two are very, very closely tied.

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Where in the system does that start?

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Like, and how would we fix that problem?

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Like where do we fix the

majority of the people who are

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homeless do not have purpose

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Is that fixable?

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Justin: Yeah, I mean, I think part

of purpose is by choice, but I

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think a lot of purpose is tied to

community and which is why I think

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community is a huge issue with it.

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You get a lot of people Dave, you had

mentioned it right at the beginning,

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where you've got people that just have

bad luck, bad stuff happens to 'em, and

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when you don't have a social safety net.

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Then that bad luck gets piled onto you.

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Whereas, you know, me, I grew up

in a lower middle class family.

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If something, something happens

to me, I've, I've got my, I've

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got two parents, I've got my

church network, I've got friends.

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You know, there's a social

network that surrounds you.

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And I think that's, that really is at its

core, the systemic issue is a lack of a

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support network for so many individuals.

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Dave Conley: So can you, can you

venture a guess as to how people lose

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community or on the flip side, how do

you gain community once you lost it?

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Justin: Yeah.

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Wow.

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What a great question.

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Boy, that first one, I, I don't know.

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I don't know what the systemic

issue is there, why, why

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people don't have community.

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But I do know community

is available to people.

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Um, whether at that's through, through

social clubs or churches or, or whatnot, I

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know do know that community is available.

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Jerremy Newsome: A little guy on, a

little, like on a dirt bike was riding by,

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Justin: That's awesome.

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Jerremy Newsome: I mean, I'm at the beach.

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What am I, I, I can't get mad.

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Like, Hey, enjoy your dirt bike, buddy.

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Justin, you mentioned choice.

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You mentioned a lot of people or

you, you didn't say a lot of people.

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You said some of these

people are making this.

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This is a choice.

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This is a decision.

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A decision to be homeless.

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Just venture.

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Guess I don't know the percentage.

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I don't think anyone knows the percentage.

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What would it be?

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What is the percentage of people

that are choosing to be homeless?

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Justin: Oh, that seems like a

dangerous question to answer.

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Dave Conley: You wait until you

hear my follow up on that one.

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Justin: yeah.

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Oh, thank you.

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Yeah.

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Boy, if I had to venture a guess.

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Without, without knowing all of the

stats about, the mental illness side,

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that that can drive homelessness.

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If I had to venture a

guess, I, I maybe 25%.

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Jerremy Newsome: Yeah,

I'd say 25% or less.

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Right.

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I was asking Kara and I was like,

are there people that are homeless

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that are just like, this is awesome?

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Justin: yeah.

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Jerremy Newsome: And she said yes.

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Justin: Yes, a hundred percent.

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Yeah.

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I,

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Jerremy Newsome: there's definitely people

that are like, this is the best dude.

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I got my tent, I got no

taxes, no one to talk to.

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I can shower in this

water fountain over here.

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You know, I get food every now and then.

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Like, I'm good.

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Justin: Yeah.

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And the, and the reason it's, it's

dangerous to guess percentages is all I

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have is my anecdotal, you know, experience

of having conversations with people.

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And there have certainly been people

that said, yeah, I could afford to not

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be here, but I prefer this lifestyle.

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I don't think that's the

majority of people, but I do

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think that's a percentage.

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Dave Conley: I, when I lived in San

Francisco, I would, uh, you know,

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it endemic like, like a real issue.

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And I mean, it's like right there

in front of you all the time

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no matter what neighborhood.

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And I would definitely strike up

conversations and I, I met a couple

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of folks that actually had homes

and they just preferred to live

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on the streets in San Francisco.

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They, they just didn't have homes there.

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And it was their thing.

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Now, I, I definitely, it was

not the majority of folks.

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Jerremy Newsome: But even that's

just a wild, not in an RV park.

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You know, like they're

living on the street.

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It's not like you're a nomad.

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A lot of people think

homelessness is nomadic.

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I'm like, no, no, no,

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Dave Conley: that's the houseless one.

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Jerremy Newsome: I, yeah.

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Like I'm nomadic like right now, like

I, I, I am, I don't have a house that

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I'm occupying full-time presently,

but that's just, I don't have a

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physical home that I'm living in often.

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I, yeah, that's a huge difference.

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And that, that, that baffles me.

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I mean, that's wild that, that's

even something that happens.

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Alex: “32,000 homeless vets,

150,000 kids—those numbers hit hard.

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But what if we’re choosing

to let this crisis grow?

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Next time, Dave flips the script

with a question that’ll make you

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rethink everything: can we shame

society into solving homelessness,

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like we did with littering?

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Stick with us for answers

that could change the game.”

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About the Podcast

Solving America's Problems
Solving America’s Problems isn’t just a podcast—it’s a journey. Co-host Jerremy Newsome, a successful entrepreneur and educator, is pursuing his lifelong dream of running for president. Along the way, he and co-host Dave Conley bring together experts, advocates, and everyday Americans to explore the real, actionable solutions our country needs.

With dynamic formats—one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, and more—we cut through the noise of divisive rhetoric to uncover practical ideas that unite instead of divide. If you’re ready to think differently, act boldly, and join a movement for meaningful change, subscribe now.