User:WAHomelessLeader

Tod Gunther

American Politician and International Homelessness Advocate

Early Life and Career

Tod Gunther is an American politician, homelessness advocate, and U.S. Navy veteran. He is regarded as the only politician to have governed a U.S. city while homeless. Historical records show no other documented cases of a sitting U.S. official simultaneously holding office while living on the streets. His situation has gained media attention, including speaking before United Nation bodies, as a rare instance of lived-experience in politics.

Before entering public service, he worked in software development. His transition into social services began when he became personally homeless, later taking on a key role in developing a tiny home village for unhoused military veterans, and supervising regional shelters.

Political Career

Gunther has been involved in politics for over a decade. He has served as Deputy Mayor and a senior City Councillor of Orting. Throughout his tenure, he focused on policies aimed at strengthening parks, improving policing strategies, introducing the city’s first “Code of Conduct,” and expanding social services.

As part of his efforts to address homelessness, Gunther has spoken both nationally and internationally. He has spoken before U.N. Habitat as part of the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) Mayors Council, a network of worldwide leaders committed to reducing homelessness. In 2024, he met with leaders from the U.K., Spain, Ireland, and South America in Paris to sign the “World Declaration of Homelessness” between member nations. He has also presented at forums focusing on narrative change in policymaking, urging governments to learn from Martin Luther King Jr. and other past civil rights leaders in actively working to reframe the unhoused — private citizens will not support those they do not like, hampering political will, new housing construction, neighborhood supports, and the decrease of program success across the globe — everything is connected. He has also been a conference speaker within the U.S., presenting before State politicians at the Association of Washington Cities.

Homelessness While in Office

Gunther is believed to be the only politician to have governed a U.S. city while homeless.. After landing on the streets, he found himself in soup kitchens, shelters, and behind dumpsters to survive. Newspaper stories report that by day he slept with rats and panhandled on corners — and by day he was on TV approving millions dollar checks. At the time his situation was unknown to his city, as he sought to prevent this other role from being at risk. He reports spending many days in the cold, governing his city from a laptop beneath freeways and bridges. During the early hours of one morning he was attacked by a large gang, but managed to escape. His experience has been widely covered in national and regional media, including:

• Los Angeles Times – "Formerly Homeless Deputy Mayor Brings Lived Experience to Policy"
• Tacoma News Tribune – "From homeless to a seat on the City Council"
• Q13 News – "Orting City Councilmember shares about his time living on the streets"
• KING 5 News – "Tiny home village for military veterans opens in Orting"

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

Gunther also serves on a regional Continuum of Care (CoC) Board, a program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and is an active member in his region’s large Pierce County Homeless Coalition.

In 2021, he was featured in Good News, a publication by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, in an article titled "Helping Others Through Lived Experience," which detailed his journey and commitment to homelessness advocacy.

His advocacy efforts include:

• Promoting the inclusion of lived-experience voices in homelessness policymaking.
• Organizing public awareness campaigns, including initiatives for World Homeless Day.
• Assisting police departments and municipal courts in addressing homelessness challenges.
• Advising global leaders on adding narrative change as a root issue in solving homelessness.

Recognition and Media Coverage

Gunther’s work has been widely recognized within homelessness advocacy circles, and his policymaking approach has been highlighted in national and regional publications. In 2017 he received a “Community Impact Award” for his leadership.

In 2024, the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) produced a short documentary titled "Governing from Beneath a Bridge," chronicling Gunther’s unique journey, political career, and advocacy work.

Personal Life

Gunther is a military veteran, professional scuba instructor, caver and former member of the SCRET deep-sea exploration team.

See Also

• Homelessness in the United States
• Homelessness in politics
• Lived-experience governance
• Continuum of Care (CoC) (HUD)