Jacob Mihalak ’74 has dedicated the entirety of his 40-year career to supporting the planning, development, and operations of housing and supportive services for people living with HIV/AIDS and/or experiencing homelessness. He has worked for nonprofits and as an independent consultant, and now lives in Seattle, WA, serving as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“There are many obstacles and challenges to developing housing and launching client-centered support service programs, including stigma, discrimination, lack of information, and obstructionism,” says Mihalak. “My role is to help determine needs, guide solutions, and assure compliance with federal programmatic and fiscal guidelines.”
In addition to direct technical support for housing and support services development, Mihalak has planned and convened three series of national meetings and conferences, co-founded the federal advocacy group National AIDS Housing Coalition, and published multiple books and reports.
Most recently, Mihalak’s focus has turned to the issue of successful reentry for people living with HIV and other vulnerable populations after their release from jail or prison. His current work looks at the experiences of women both inside and after incarceration. He recently produced a new set of videos (scheduled for release in September) and is in the process of producing new films documenting home-sharing and co-living models as options for older adults living with HIV.
“The resources available to meet the needs of these vulnerable populations is woefully inadequate,” Mihalak says. “We know what works; we just don’t have enough of it and, as a nation, we lack the political will to solve these problems and assure quality of life, stable housing, and affordable healthcare for all.”
While the work can be challenging, Mihalak still likes to see the positive in what he does, finding new reasons every day to serve his community.
“Everywhere I go I have the opportunity to meet and work with amazing, hard-working people with overflowing compassion and concern for their fellow human beings, and the dedication to stick with it – despite the challenges and hardships encountered,” he says.
A Japanese Cultural Studies major while at CC, Mihalak knows that his time on campus set him up well for his future success and gave him the foundation to truly help his community.
“The atmosphere and structure of learning at CC encouraged me to explore the world around me, to challenge my capabilities, and to nurture a grounding in values that build community and offer support to one another,” he says.
As for future goals, Mihalak plans to retire this year. After relocating to Newton, MA in 2025, he would like to devote his energies and skills to the New England region’s responses to the climate emergency.