Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Racialization, Individualism, And Denial: How The American And Australian Dreams Uphold The Homelessness And Poverty Crises Of Today, Emily Rose Andrews

Social Sciences

Inspired by my lived experience of immersion in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California, for two weeks; studying abroad in Adelaide, South Australia, for two months; and my current internship at the Department of Social Services in San Luis Obispo, California, I plan on formulating a research paper on the topic of homelessness for my senior project. Specifically, through an extensive literature review and analysis, I will investigate: How does the culture of poverty ideology influence public opinions and policy responses to homelessness in the United States and Australia? To answer this question, I will first introduce the concept …

Community Integration Experiences Of Formerly Homeless Persons With Serious Mental Illness (Smi) Housed In Washington Dc Using The Housing First Model, Gwendolyn Harter

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Two interventions which have been successful in housing and maintaining housing for individuals who have serious mental illness and are classified as chronically homeless are the Housing First Model and community integration. Currently existing models of community integration were created using dated information and definitions, created from a medical model and not a social framework. Therefore, this dissertation used a phenomenological approach to define community and whether, by that definition, the participants feel integrated into the community. This included the interviewees’ experiences with Pathways to Housing DC and transitioning from homeless to housings and the Housing First Model.

Outcomes from …

A Public Policy Approach To Life After Service For U.S. Military Veterans: Mental Health, Homelessness, And Reintegration, Eric D. Button

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, through a public policy lens, examines life after U.S. military service as it relates to reintegration, the ability of state-level veteran-specific mental health programs to address veterans’ mental health challenges, and states’ ability to address veteran homelessness. First, I use 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey data, along with various measures of state-level characteristics, to examine the influence of relevant state-level policies on veterans’ mental health outcomes. Based on multi-level modeling results, findings suggest that the presence of at least one state-level veteran specific mental health program may be a mitigating …

The Effectiveness Of Housing First In Reducing Homelessness In The United States, Christopher Amemiya

CMC Senior Theses

The Housing First approach is the most funded and utilized approach by the federal government to reduce homelessness in the United States. The main service provided by the Housing First approach is Permanent Supportive Housing. Proponents of Housing First claim it is an evidence-based approach, citing studies that find increases in Permanently Supportive Housing lead to successful outcomes for reducing homelessness on the individual level. This paper seeks to review the literature on Housing First and homelessness and analyze the findings to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of Housing First in reducing homelessness in the United States.

An Evaluation Of The Psychosocial Benefits For Children Experiencing Homelessness Arising From The Introduction Of An Integrated Community Care Project Across The City Of Cork, Traolach O' Callaghan

Theses

The purpose of the research is to evaluate an intervention within a new model of family support being delivered in Cork City, on addressing child and family homelessness. This new model is being delivered for the first time in Ireland during ‘Youth Club’ and strives to act as an intervention to assist children experiencing homelessness. The model was first developed by Tusla Springboard Child and Family service and Good Shepherd Services Cork in 2016 in response to the alarming rise in child and family homelessness in Cork city, and the resulting impact of same. The research investigates the model and …

A Program Evaluation Of The Project Roomkey In Santa Clara, San Francisco, And Alameda Counties, Louella Sevegan

Master's Projects

During the early months of 2020, the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) had a significant impact on the homeless population. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development defines a homeless person as someone who "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence" (Henry, et al., 2020, page 2). According to a report conducted by Culhane et al. (2020), the homeless population has a higher chance of being infected by COVID-19 than the general population. Issues such as inadequate access to sanitation or proper hygiene, and the inability to isolate, especially in a congregate …

Decreasing Trash In Local Creeks: A Program Evaluation Of The City Of San Jose’S Direct Discharge Trash Control Program, Lakeisha Bryant

Master's Projects

The entire San Francisco Bay was once a navigable waterway in the 1850s during the Gold Rush era. Large amounts of sediment from upstream erosion and mining flowed to the bay resulting in the downsizing of the bay’s square miles (Environmental Protection Agency, 2022). As a result of intense development on the bay shores and adjacent lands, the bay faces several challenges that affect its water quality and threatens aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides, mercury, metals, and pathogens are just a few substances in the bay that cause unhealthy conditions for aquatic life and threaten human health. California’s Water Resources Control Board …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Influence Of Social And Structural Communication Variables On The Social Connectedness Of People Experiencing Homelessness, Shawn Michael Evans

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of social and structural communication variables on the perceived social connectedness of people experiencing homelessness in the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) and Joplin, Missouri areas. This study employed the ecological perspective of communication infrastructure theory (CIT; Ball-Rokeach et al., 2001) and a communication perspective which envisions communicative interaction as constitutive of social experience. Using survey data from 166 participants, this study examined 11 research questions and hypotheses drawn from extant literature on homelessness, social connectedness, and CIT. ANOVAs, t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a complex relationship between individuals and the communicative environment. This study …

Breaking The Cycle: An Analysis Of The Reduction Of Single Women In The Homeless Community, Luisa J. Lamagra

Honors Projects

An analysis of homelessness with particular attention to King County and a focus on single women. This paper aims to address gender disparities in housing prioritization and homeless reduction solutions while suggesting gender-conscious policies and programs. The current system of housing prioritization is aiming to be neutral; yet it falls to the side of white, cisgender, heterosexual men. Single women without children have specific needs that are not met because the absence of children in their lives makes them insignificant, which feeds into the cyclical nature of chronic homelessness. By analyzing the specific pathways that women take into homelessness, this …

Exploring Health Inequities: Head Injuries In People Experiencing Homelessness, Emily M. Angus

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Lifetime occurrence of head injury is disproportionately affecting people experiencing homelessness in Canada. Head injury in people experiencing homelessness is associated with victimization, housing instability and substance use (Topolovec-Vranic et al., 2017). However, individual factors including sex, race, social class and disability also produce social and health inequities which may have intersectional impacts on this population (McCall, 2005). Through secondary exploration of data from the No Fixed Address Version 2 (NFAv2) and No Fixed Address Version 2x (NFAv2x) studies (Forchuk et al., 2018; in press), and an intersectional lens, the purpose of this study was to explore relationships between individual …

Challenges Faced By Recently Emancipated Youth, Williams Peña, Jerry Walter Butkiewicz Iii

Communication Senior Capstones

In this academic research paper, we will be exploring the challenges faced by recently emancipated youth. We chose this topic because of the fact that this is not often spoken about or taught to the general public. This lack of attention to these issues creates hurdles when attempting to solve these sensitive issues. Considering this, we thought it would be a strong choice for further research and review. We explored many obstacles these new adults face. One such issue that we would like to touch on is the unstable housing situation of these recently emancipated individuals. Another prudent example is …

Scope Of Homelessness In Kentucky, Shannon Elyse Catron

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper is based on a data project that pulled together publicly available data from several sources to examine the scope of homelessness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The primary findings of the project conclude that there is a lack of data regarding counting homeless individuals, and that the available data should be examined to determine changes in the homeless population and demographics over time. Examining this data would also reveal the rate of progress in the number of counties that have began participating in the K-count since 2006. Increasing awareness about the topic and encouraging local governments to develop …

The Effects Of Federal Funding Reductions On Emergency Shelters In Urban U.S. Sanctuary Cities., Venice Hylton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWhen the U.S. federal government reduces funding to urban sanctuary cities because of those cities’ refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement agents this affects the services offered by the municipalities to their residents. The purpose of this study was to provide a better understanding of the effects that withdrawal of federal funds from urban sanctuary cities have on people experiencing homelessness. The social exchange theory provided the theoretical foundation for the study, which featured a qualitative exploratory case study design and involved interviews with four shelter administrators in three mid-Atlantic states. The participants described (a) the effects of reduced …

Substance Abuse Disorders And Veteran Homelessness, Donald Rufus Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractVeterans constitute a significant proportion of the homeless population in the United States. Studies indicate that substance abuse is a major issue these veterans face that can result in homelessness. Despite improvement since 2009, substance abuse among this population remains a significant problem. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of homeless and substance-abusing veterans to provide information to government agencies that may help them develop a practical approach for addressing the issue. The social cognitive theory and Lowry's dimension on federalism provided the theoretical framework for this study. A general qualitative research …

Housing Choice Vouchers: Moving To Work Program In California, Benjamin Tran

Master's Projects

This research project examined whether the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Moving To Work (MTW) program enabled California’s public housing authorities to provide more efficient service, while meeting MTW program goals, from 2015 to 2020.

Homelessness In Late Life: An Exploration Of The Lived Experience, Danielle Palmisano

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Homelessness is a challenging, chronic public problem throughout the United States that has broad impacts on the public sector. Older adults are the largest growing segment of the population and have not been spared by this housing crisis. The experience of homelessness while aging can have negative impacts that contribute to increased healthcare costs and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of late life homelessness from the perspective of formerly homeless older adults to inform the development of a grounded theory on how the lived experience of …

The Impact Of Criminal Justice Involvement: Examining Experiences In A Housing First Program., Amanda N. Denton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals who come into contact with the criminal justice system are more likely to experience housing instability and homelessness, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of subsequent criminal justice involvement. Due to a lack of federal funding, as well as disjointed and inconsistent policies regarding eligibility criteria, people with criminal records are unlikely to receive federal rental assistance. While the exclusion of people with criminal histories is presented as necessary to protect communities and residents from crime, improving access to stable housing may reduce recidivism, incarceration rates, and correctional costs and increase public safety. The present study examined the differences …

Collaborative Competition In Homeless Services: Three Essays On Federal-Local Partnerships, Andrew Alfred Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

The United States’ federal government funds homeless services provided at the local level through the McKinney-Vento Act, encouraging collaboration among providers. This dissertation studies three aspects of homelessness: merging of local planning bodies, identification of homeless students, and the relationship between experiencing homelessness in high school and long-term educational outcomes.

The first chapter studies the effect of merging Continuums of Care (CoCs), local planning bodies for homeless services. While merging brings organizations into the same network and could make use of economies of scale, it brings service provision to a less-local level, taking away responsiveness to the community and inter-jurisdictional …

Understanding The Influence Of Social Integration On The Formerly Homeless, Donna L. Wickes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the number of homeless people in the United States continues to grow, it is apparent that the current strategies are not meeting expectations and need to be reevaluated. Studies by industry experts highlighted the need to address the impact of social integration on long-term housing sustainability. The purpose of the qualitative study was to understand from the perspective of housed, formerly, homeless individuals, how socially focused interventions could influence their sense of community and increase their social integration. Durkheim’s social theory and McMillan and Chavis’ psychological sense of community (PSOC) framework were used to guide the qualitative, phenomenological approach …

Program Evaluation: Assessing A Housing First Initiative, Caitlin Pennicooke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Housing First is a nationally recognized approach to solving homelessness, but literature does not account for the unique characteristics of geographic locations that are isolated and have high cost of living. This study examined one such city and benchmarked it against another. To protect the identities of these cities, the alias Island City (IC) for the city under examination and Sun City for the benchmark. This research explored IC’s Housing First program related to mitigating homelessness. The purpose of this study was to benchmark IC’s Housing First program against Sun City’s program using the context, input, process, and product (CIPP) …

Substance Abuse Disorders And Veteran Homelessness, Donald Rufus Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veterans constitute a significant proportion of the homeless population in the United States. Studies indicate that substance abuse is a major issue these veterans face that can result in homelessness. Despite improvement since 2009, substance abuse among this population remains a significant problem. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of homeless and substance-abusing veterans to provide information to government agencies that may help them develop a practical approach for addressing the issue. The social cognitive theory and Lowry's dimension on federalism provided the theoretical framework for this study. A general qualitative research …

An Exploration Of Successful Housing Outcomes After Homelessness: An Experience Captured Through The Lens Of U.S. Veterans, Janice Filer

Theses and Dissertations

Homelessness is experienced by veterans at a higher percentage than nonveterans. Veterans represent eight percent of the homeless population (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2019). Also, the mortality rate of younger homeless veterans is higher than non-homeless veterans (Schinka et al., 2018). Veterans experience the lack of affordable housing, the lack of affordable health care, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and a lack of family or social support (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 2018). The purpose of this qualitative research study was to interview prior homeless veterans from Gulf War Era I (1990 - 2001) and/or Gulf …

Diminishing And Preventing Homelessness: A Managerial Audit Of Santa Clara County Nonprofit Organizations Addressing Homelessness, Sergio J. Gonzalez

Master's Projects

While the problem of homelessness intensifies in the United States, the search for solutions becomes increasingly crucial. As the number of homeless people in Santa Clara County, California continues to surge, various sections of government and nonprofit organizations have intensified their search for ways to reduce the problem. There have been many proposed ideas for a solution, such as policy options and emergency measures to address local crises. For example, the city of San Jose, California, has opened a “bridged housing” community, allocating 80 tiny homes with beds, a desk, and air conditioning in two locations to serve as temporary …

Canadian Mayors Respond To Tent Cities: The Old Bums Rush Or A New Script For Homeless Populations?, Dani Coffey

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper seeks to examine how Canadian urban mayors respond, in the media, to homeless encampments in their communities. A qualitative content analysis of news articles involving tent cities and the current mayors of two Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in British Columbia is completed. Social constructions of the homeless population will be considered through the coding of media “frames.” Through the integration of frames with the Narrative Policy Framework, the interplay between social constructions and housing policy solutions generated at the local level will be explored.

Housing First: Defining And Analyzing A New Treatment Paradigm For Homelessness In The United States, Caitlin A. Carey

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

As the Housing First approach to homeless service provision has proliferated in the United States in recent years, varied understandings of the model have emerged and a wide range of outcomes have been reported. This study seeks to better understand the variation in the implementation of Housing First, to identify outcomes of interest to stakeholders to improve future evaluations of the model, and to compare Housing First in practice to Housing First in theory. In order to achieve these goals, this study utilizes an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design beginning with a qualitative case study of Housing First programs …

Shadow Standards And The Logic Of Costs: Care, Stewardship, And Data In U.S. Community Health, Margarite J. Whitten

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the delegation of responsibility for providing health care to particular categories of marginalized populations in the United States in the absence of a uniform and universal health care system. It explores how the U.S. federal government governs patient populations at a distance by mandating that healthcare providers collect, produce, and report on patient data. Drawing from eighteen months of ethnographic research in Massachusetts clinics for the homeless and the frail elderly between 2014-2015, I argue that when marginalized patients are unable to satisfy the neoliberal ideal of self-governance to maintain their health in cost-effective ways, providers are …

Working With The Homeless Population: An Exploratory Study Of Graduate Social Work Student’S Confidence And Willingness, Ana Rosa Ortiz, Mariam Kiara Lowe

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Homelessness is a multilayered problem that affects hundreds of thousands of people across the United States. The social work profession cannot rest on its laurels when large numbers of individuals and families suffer due to a lack of shelter, a necessity. Historically, social work was at the vanguard of interventions against homelessness. However, over the past 30 years or so, the profession arguably has shifted its focus toward micro practice. As a result, macro issues such as poverty and homelessness have received comparatively less interest in the field. Using an exploratory design, this study examined factors associated with level of …

Creating Comprehensive Wrap-Around Services For The Homeless Community: Exploring Network Activity Among Shelters And Service Organizations Within The South-Side Of Chicago, Gloria West

Dissertations

We may not all agree that the homeless community is increasing and that their essential needs to survive such as food, healthcare and housing are quality of life rights for everyone. We must adopt the compassion of the medical industry and understand the importance of how community programs and services impact their survival. The sense of urgency to address the issues of homelessness does not appear to be moving as fast as other government agendas hindering families and individual’s ability to achieve self-sufficiency. It is expected that the priorities within this population are addressed immediately, it should be understood that …

Breaking Stereotypes: A Call For A New Movement To Empower The Homeless, Abigail Grace Anderson

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Homeless Chronicity, And Age At Onset Of Homelessness, Joseph T. Tucciarone Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood adversity is associated with numerous negative outcomes across multiple domains, including mental and physical health, interrelationships, and social functioning. Notably, research suggests that childhood adversity has a dose-response relationship with these outcomes; that is, greater numbers of adverse experiences in childhood are associated with worse outcomes. These outcomes overlap with many risk factors of homelessness. This study sought to address two questions: 1) Does a dose-response relationship exist between childhood adversity and chronic homelessness? 2) Does childhood adversity negatively predict the age at which homelessness first occurs? Adults experiencing homeless who are accessing homeless services in the Tri-Cities area …