Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2022 Report & Evaluation, Madhawa Palihapitiya

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The FY2022 evaluation report prepared by MOPC for the tenth year of the Grant Program operations confirms that the state’s FY2022 appropriation of $2.7 million[1]continued to strengthen community mediation center operations statewide, expanded public awareness and utilization of community mediation, and maintained critical public programs focused on housing stability, youth empowerment, reducing recidivism and building capacity for diversity, equity and inclusion for center practices and services, while producing significant social and economic impacts, including a $22.1 million return on the state’s investment in cost-savings and leveraged resources. This impact demonstrates the public value and cost-effectiveness of this local …

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 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 …

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 …

Religiosity And Midwestern Lgbtq+ Homeless Youth, Alecia Keller, Nancy Kelley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Previous investigations have focused on the intersections of LGBTQ+ youth and religion, homelessness and religion, or homeless LGBTQ+ youth, without recognizing the multiple intersections that make up each LGBTQ+ youth’s identity. The purpose of this study was to gain more insight into how being homeless, identifying as LGBTQ+, and growing up with some religion played a role in transitional-aged (ages eighteen to twenty-five) youths’ lives. After working with Youth Emergency Services (YES) in Omaha, Nebraska, and conducting interviews with LGBTQ+ youth who were previously homeless, similar topics emerged among participants. Three participants were evicted from their homes because of their …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Displacement From Single Room Occupancy (Sro) Housing, Camilla Cummings

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing is typically the most affordable and attainable form of housing for low-income people and is often located in desirable areas with access to social infrastructure. Literature shows SRO tenants are marginalized related to their social positionalities (i.e., they are disproportionately Black, elderly, more likely to have mental illness, and be in recovery from substance or alcohol use). Unfortunately, SRO housing has been increasingly lost to for-profit developers. The current study employed a community-based participatory action research approach and qualitative design to explore the subjective experiences of SRO residents’ displacement. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach was …

Learning From Lived Experience: Substance Use Policies, Emergency Shelters, And Harm Reduction In London, On, Jesse Cram, Dena Salehipour

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Since 2018, the number of overdoses reported by London housing and emergency shelter agencies to the city of London has increased by 790%.These agencies currently have inconsistent overdose response policies that lack research-based support, and want to establish comprehensive best practices that support those involved at all levels.

Through a community based course, we initially collected and analyzed survey data from managers and staff from various London housing and emergency shelter agencies with the aim of understanding the limitations of the current approaches to the opioid crisis. Wanting to expand on this, our current project focuses on those who are …

Georgia’S Libraries And The Needs Of Patrons Experiencing Homelessness: An Exploratory Study, Anne Blood

The Southeastern Librarian

This paper presents a sample survey of Georgia libraries’ services for those experiencing homelessness, conducted in the spring of 2020 before COVID-19 closed libraries across the country. It examines previous research on best practices to aid those experiencing homelessness and former attempts to implement these practices. From these practices and experiences the survey questions were designed. The questions are as follows: what barriers exist, if any, at these libraries that might make it difficult for those experiencing homelessness to use library services; do these libraries follow best practices standards in their services that help all patrons feel welcome using the …

Navigating College While Homeless: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of The Young Adult Experience, Bertha Fountain

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose: The study aimed to understand the perspectives of students in college who were homeless. The research question guiding this inquiry was: How do young adults describe their experience of being homeless while in college?

Method: Qualitative research using a phenomenological approach guided this descriptive inquiry. Interviews were held with 10 students from three CUNY Community Colleges and the data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Resilience theory helped to understand the barriers along with the strengths and adaptive responses of the students.

Results: Students experienced unstable and inadequate sleeping arrangements and food insecurity along with their academic responsibilities. Homelessness …

The Use Of Drama Therapeutic Play And Unconditional Positive Regard In Fostering Self-Actualization In Unhoused Individuals, Amanda Ludeking

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Childhood instability and the associated trauma are risk factors for homelessness, a circumstance which is perilous and traumatizing in itself. In order to survive such dangerous situations, unhoused individuals can develop protective behaviors to keep others away, which makes building and maintaining interpersonal relationships difficult. Beyond this, aspects of childhood instability can negatively affect socialization and interpersonal skills; for example, attachment theory suggests that attachment-based trauma (resulting from an insecure relationship with a caregiver) can negatively impact self-regulation and social skills into adulthood. This literature review seeks to better understand how two specific approaches to treatment, person-centered therapy and drama …

A Policy Agenda For Addressing The Homeless Problem, David A. Johnson

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

While the past 40 years has ushered in a period of improved urban real estate development and values, it has also been a time of decreased housing affordability and increased homelessness. The Agenda for Building a Changing World Responsibly needs to include improved housing assistance and affordability policies. This article outlines an agenda for housing assistance and affordability policies at both the federal and local urban jurisdiction levels. Their implementation will collectively help build a changing world responsibly.

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 …

Effects On Youth Experiencing Homelessness In Public Schools, Abby Golish

Counselor Education Capstones

Abstract

An examination of the issues of youth who are experiencing homelessness is crucial in supporting this vulnerable population. Public schools have a responsibility to assist these students in their academic, career, and social-emotional development. With unique, personal needs, students who are homeless must be understood by school counselors and other school personnel to be appropriately supported. Homelessness can be identified through many characteristics and identified needs. It is key for school counselors to recognize these characteristics and consider the impacts that the school and resources can make on the student’s life. Throughout the paper, the causes of homelessness, potential …

Redeveloping Homeless History And Chronicity Documentation: A Study For Heartland Family Service, Rachel Riede

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In recent months, the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program at Heartland Family Service (HFS) has seen substantial delays during their intake process, specifically when it comes to verifying a client’s HUD-required homeless history. This has led to an increase in program vacancies, fewer clients served, and an underutilization of the program’s budget, which could also induce more permanent defunding in the future. While the agency is working to address this problem by retraining all of their case managers on how to collect homeless histories, this project seeks to instead identify and address the problem through the case managers’ perspective. Through …

Recreational Cannabis Legalization And Homelessness In The U.S.: A Quasi-Experimental National Policy Analysis, James A. Sanderson

All Theses

In analyzing rising homelessness across the country, a comparison of state policies uncovered a trend: many states which were early adopters of adult-use recreational cannabis law also exhibited a high incidence of homelessness. As legalizing cannabis undoubtedly affects the number of substance users who are imprisoned, such changes to drug enforcement policy may also be impacting homeless populations. Now, there is substantial research on the relationship between incarceration and homelessness, and on co-occurring mental health and substance use problems known to be prevalent among these populations. Despite such similarities, and the impacts of recreational cannabis legalization on jail populations, there …

Intervention To Modify Perceptions Of Homelessness, Sophie Srivastava, Vincent Berardi, David Frederick

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

As public opinion is known to impact policy formation, assessing how the public misperceives the homeless population is important to prevent non-informed policies from being adopted. This study focused on correcting misperceptions about the homeless as a means to garner support for public policies that are known to improve the lives of homeless individuals and those with mental illness. The research study implemented two forms of virtual interventions (refutation texts and personal anecdotes from homeless individuals) plus a control and assessed support for various policies before and after the trial. The goal of the study was to determine which intervention …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Social Service Providers Who Worked With The Homeless Population, Franco Padilla, Cynthia Jimenez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Minimal research has been conducted to evaluate the effects COVID-19 has had on social service providers and their ability to deliver services to the homeless population during the pandemic. This research study seeks to focus on three areas that include: the mental health of the social service providers, the ability to adapt and provide services to the homeless population through telehealth, and the available resources social service providers were able to access to assist their clientele. To explore the impact of COVID-19 on social service providers who work with the homeless population, a qualitative cross-sectional research study was conducted through …

Identifying Groups Most Prone To Become Homeless, Jesse Kruse

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper will attempt to determine if some groups are more prone to homelessness than other groups within the United States. Then, it will try to determine if some groups are more prone to homelessness within the Inland Empire. Research was conducted to identify if some contributing factors that cause homelessness affect some groups more than other groups. If the contributing factors to become homeless differs between different subgroups of homeless individuals, then perhaps different intervention strategies could be applied to each subgroup.

Homelessness In Southern California: A Look Toward Prevention, Briana Sanchez, Esmeralda Arellano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite living in the richest country in the world, many individuals and families across the United States face the harsh reality of homelessness. A social phenomenon, homelessness has affected hundreds of thousands of people every year. The impact of homelessness has been detrimental across the whole country, including Southern California. This exploratory study raised two questions: (1) What are contributing factors to homelessness in Southern California? (2) How can homelessness in South California be prevented? Taking a qualitative approach, this study interviewed 15 participants, 10 social workers and 5 people living in/or having experienced homelessness (N = 15). Thematic analysis …

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 …

(In) Visible In The Field And In The Data: Uncertain, Hidden, And Homeless. Essays On The Conceptualization Of Homelessness, Elements Of Social Exclusion, And Integrity Of Social Relationships, Places, And Resources, Richard Neil Greene

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation includes three empirical chapters framed by an overarching introduction and conclusion. Together, they comprise a mixed methods and community engaged study on homelessness, mortality, and systems related to homelessness. This study uniquely speaks to the social construction of homelessness and construction of knowledge about homelessness from a sociological perspective. Data come from: 1) qualitative interviews (N=20) with field deputy medical investigators (FDMI) in New Mexico about conceptualizing homelessness and housing instability as a contributing cause of death; 2) quantitative death records comparing people affected by homelessness who were identified as having been engaged with services or were not …

Service-Learning: A Homeless Outreach Initiative, Eduardo A. De La Torre

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

A capstone project focused at providing resources and assistance to a growing homeless community living at Sunset Park and surrounding areas. Our mission was aimed at providing the homeless immediate access to a pop-up event that hosts numerous onsite resources from a wide range of services. Which included, but not limited to physical and mental health services, information on how to enter substance abuse rehabilitation programs, assistance with both temporary and permanent housing options. Created by joint partnerships between the Nevada Homeless Alliance, affiliated organizations and volunteers who are all committed and dedicated to advocating for the elimination of homelessness …

The Logic Of "Social Enterprise": The Big Issue Organization And New Labour Policy At The Millennial Juncture, Suman Gupta

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

This paper explores the emergence of and policies and practices underpinning ‘social enterprise’ in Britain: that is, the concept that businesses could provide social services and benefits while returning profits to those who have invested in them. This paper argues that, in Britain, the concept was massaged into existence and adopted as a business and policy model at a particular historical juncture, in the later 1990s and early 2000s. The process involved a careful interweaving of linguistic maneuvers with financial calculations both at the level of specific businesses and at that of political regimes. This process is traced here with …

It Doesn’T Get Better With Time: The Effect Of Housing Insecurity On Rearrest In Polk And Palm Beach County, Quintin Williams

Dissertations

Housing insecurity is one of the main drivers of poverty and inequality in contemporary urban society. We know that this insecurity contributes to poor outcomes for the individuals experiencing it. We know less about how this housing insecurity impacts contact with the criminal justice system. Using event history analysis, this study assesses the effects of housing insecurity in Polk County Iowa and Palm Beach County Florida. Results confirm that housing insecurity increases the risk of being rearrested each day a person is without stable housing. These findings reveal that lack of access to safe, affordable, and stable housing not only …

Services For Homeless Veterans: A Study Of Access To Benefits, Sheryl Maddox Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHomelessness among veterans in the United States is a multifaceted social and health concern that has continued to increase despite immense efforts to minimize and eliminate this issue. Numerous organizations have dedicated resources; however, many veterans do not use benefits and resources that are available to them, and homelessness remains a health and social concern. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how individual and interpersonal barriers, community factors, organizational structure, and existing policies for assistance are perceived by support staff that work with veterans with mental disorders who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. …

Unstable Housing In Rural Communities, Amber Theis, Ruth Chalstrom, Kara Richard

Student Projects

Housing is a crucial part of survival and one’s ability to engage in life, but the increasing difficulty in obtaining affordable, quality, safe housing is of great concern. To better understand the housing crisis and be equipped to advocate on behalf of the unhoused, research was conducted on many factors including correlation with the ACES study, the housing crisis in America, the redefinition of housing terms, psychological impact on both adult and children, and the physical impacts of housing insecurity. It becomes evident that housing is a complex, multi-faceted issue. Nonetheless, it is one that requires significant consideration. There are …

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.

The Affects Of The Foot Conditions On The Homeless Population, Alexander Kaye

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The research is attempting to acknowledge and explain the impact, if any, on homeless individuals not wearing socks. The curiosity for this study started on December 25th, 2018 when my family and I were volunteering at a homeless shelter in South Florida. After having numerous conversations with homeless individuals, I was informed on how they do not have enough pairs of socks to keep their feet in a healthy condition. Thus, I decided to initiate a sock drive to improve the lives of those who are homeless. This study is looking at a series of articles that are reviewing the …

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 …

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 …