Welcome to this week’s episode of The Mindbridge Podcast: Where Science Meets Human Rights! This podcast invites human rights defenders to teach and learn from brain and behavioral scientists about how we can all use science to do human rights work that is more efficient and impactful.
This week, we are joined by Dr. Darrin Hodgetts and Drey Aradanas - two experts on the topic of housing insecurity and homelessness. There, Darrin and Drey share insights about housing insecurity and humanizing precarity and poverty in their local areas of Auckland (NZ) and Miami (USA), respectively.
Both remind us that safe and adequate housing is a human right, which is protected under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
DR. DARRIN HODGETTS is Professor of Societal Psychology at Massey University and coordinator of the EPIC (Enhancing Participation and Inclusive Change) collective. Prior to his present appointment at Massey University (Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa), Darrin held positions in Community Medicine at Memorial University in Canada, Societal Psychology at the London School of Economic, and Community Psychology at the University of Waikato.
Darrin’s research examines the intersections of societal systems, urban precarity, human insecurities, and inequities in health. Darrin’s book length titles include Tackling precarious work: Toward sustainable livelihoods, Social Psychology and Everyday Life (2nd ed.), Asia-Pacific Perspectives on Intercultural Psychology, SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Psychology, Urban Poverty & Health Inequalities: A Relational Approach. Darrin has been involved in the development of various services to meet the needs of people who happen to be homeless
AUDREY ARADANAS is a passionate advocate for youth and families experiencing housing insecurity. She serves as the Deputy Director at Miami Homes For All, a nonprofit organization systems change related to affordable housing and homelessness. With a background in policy advocacy, coalition building, fundraising, and community engagement, Aradanas brings nearly a decade of experience in community development.
A Filipina American born in California and spent her early childhood in the Caribbean, her diverse upbringing has shaped her commitment to building thriving and safe communities.
She serves on the boards of Florida Supportive Housing Coalition and the Florida Health Justice Project. In 2020, she was a member of Miami’s Next Leaders, and in 2019, she was a Community Scholar in Affordable Housing. She is a proud triple Florida International University graduate, earning her dual Bachelor’s degrees in 2016 and her Master’s in Business Administration in 2022.
Mindbridge is the nation’s leading non-profit using brain and behavioral science to empower human rights defenders.
We conduct programming, support partnerships, and direct research at the intersection of psychological science and human rights. Through these efforts, Mindbridge is growing a science-driven community that gives human rights defenders access to the hearts and minds of those they serve.
To learn more about how we use brain and behavioral science to empower human rights defenders, find us at mindbridgecenter.org, and follow us on social media.
