Anthony Wann Williams

Anthony Wann Williams, 59, of Baltimore, MD passed away on May 8, 2023 in Baltimore. Anthony will be remembered for his heartfelt concern for others, especially for those in need. He was a fierce advocate for the basic human and civil rights of poor and unhoused people, and he was passionately committed to ending homelessness. Anthony was born on August 22, 1963 in Baltimore, MD and spent his youth in the foster care system. He became an expert on homelessness through his experiences living in the shelter system, on the street and squatting in vacant buildings; listening to other homeless folks, organizing and conducting research. He grew to become a relentless, lifelong advocate for housing justice. Anthony was a gifted leader, and he saw leadership in others, motivating and training them to continue this work as his legacy. In 1999, Anthony co-founded the New York-based organization Picture the Homeless, with the purpose of organizing people experiencing homelessness to impact policies and systems that affect their lives. He had an outstanding track record of including people with lived experience of homelessness in the decision-making process of all systems that impacted them – from policing to shelters to social service programs and housing. He worked with unhoused people to document unjust patterns and practices they experienced, to identify barriers preventing them from receiving or remaining in housing, and to identify solutions, then organize to implement them. He was committed to holding organizations accountable that receive funds to provide housing and to assist unhoused people, and he accepted no excuses. In Baltimore, Anthony served as the Co-Chair of The Journey Home, the City's Continuum of Care HUD program, and he was instrumental in developing its Lived Experience Advisory Committee. He was a member of Housing Our Neighbors, a homeless-led group, and served on several boards dedicated to ending homelessness and improving service delivery to homeless and poor people. He was on the Resident Advisory Board for the Baltimore Housing Authority, and a commissioner for the Baltimore City Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Anthony was also working with the Common Ground Community Land Trust, whose goal is to establish permanently affordable housing for people making 0-30% of the Area Median Income. Anthony remained connected to Picture the Homeless, serving on the Picture the Homeless Oral History Project Advisory Board. He also participated in and was deeply respected by the leadership of the national Poor People’s Campaign and the Western Regional Advocacy Project on the west coast of the USA. Anthony was a creative soul who loved painting, writing, photography, playing musical instruments and listening to vinyl records, and he always expressed his own unique style. His personal journals were adapted into an original play, The King of Howard Street, that was performed at the Annex Theatre in Baltimore. Anthony is survived by his wife, Jennifer Merrill Williams, and many dear friends. A memorial service is planned for August 22, 2023 in Baltimore to celebrate his life and keep his spirit alive.

Anthony Wann Williams

August 22, 1963 - May 8, 2023