Marion Sanders

Marion Sanders, a public administrator and social worker, serves as HSH’s Chief Deputy Director.

Homelessness is personal to her. Marion’s mother experienced several episodes of homelessness, including multiple stints on Skid Row throughout Marion’s childhood and career in homelessness services. She discovered the core reason for her commitment to ending homelessness in response to a question asked by her professor in a social work seminar course. The question was, “Who are you trying to save?” The answer for Marion, then, was her family. Her answer now is that she is trying to save the family system. 

She has spent the past decade as a systems leader and thought partner in the creation of effective programming and policy designed to remove barriers for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. She held various roles at the Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS); in her latest role as Deputy Director, she was responsible for a $30 million+ portfolio of services, including government and private funders. Marion is one of the original architects of the South LA Coordinated Entry System (CES). She developed the SPA 6 Demographic Report to monitor what homelessness looked like in South LA and keep stakeholders informed.

In 2022, she completed a policy fellowship with Urban Leader Fellows, working with the State of Indiana’s Office of the Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity Officer on a plan to embed equity and inclusion into the fabric of state government. 

Marion earned her Bachelor of Public Administration from CSU Dominguez Hills, her Master of Public Administration from CSU Long Beach, and her Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California.