Homeless Program, Essay Example

Define the problem and the target population

The Problem this project attempts to address is the issue of homelessness in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Anderson (2013), focuses on and notes that the primary way to end homelessness is through reducing the cost of housing. She notes that, making housing more affordable is the single most effective way to reduce homelessness in virtually every community. She assessed the state of homelessness in Connecticut and found that programs that support most people’s single largest expenditure. Households are generally considered “cost burdened” if they spend more than 30 percent of income on housing, often the case for renters. In fact, one in four renter households spends 50 percent or more of its monthly income on housing. This means that even a small change in prices can have a large impact” (Anderson, 2013). The prime example of Anderson’s philosophy in practice can be seen with the National Low Income Housing Coalition breaks down the cost of living in the area. The study notes that, “fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Connecticut is $1,226. But in order to spend no more than 30 percent of household income on a unit at that price, one would have to earn $23.58 per hour, 40 hours per week” (Anderson, 2013). This is not a realistic wage for two working adults in Connecticut to earn when minimum wage is only $8.25. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness notes that in 2011, Connecticut’s transitional housing and homeless shelters served an estimated “14,000 people and 1,300 families including 2,500 children” (Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, 2012). Specifically in Bridgeport Connecticut for the year 2011, the total number of homeless people reported accounted for 1,319 of the homeless population, 200 of which were families.

Homelessness in the Greater Bridgeport Area

Fig1: Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (2015)

The above table reveals that the families represented 14% of all homeless families in the state of Connecticut. An estimated 354 people, 49 families and 100 children were found per day on average in the housing programs and the shelters. Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness further notes that, “four years into the country’s recession, Connecticut families living below the poverty line have exhausted support networks and turned to their last resort, a homeless shelter. Homelessness has been reported to affect the overall health of a child, leading to both physical and mental distress” (Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, 2015). During 2011, over 76% of the families who needed to use the Connecticut shelter or transitional home resources were doing it for the first time.

Data shows that the homelessness issue in Bridgeport, Connecticut can be largely attributed to the lack of support after individuals are evicted from their homes. Journey Home, a Connecticut organization that seeks to resolve the homeless issue in the area was founded in 2007. The organization is known for its 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The Executive Director of Journey Home, Matt Morgan, points out that eviction by itself is not the main deciding factor leading to homelessness. He identifies the real cause as lack of support, such as friends and family that are unwilling to help with the issue. He states that, “preliminary findings indicate that people targeted for prevention might not have ended up in a homeless shelter right away. Data from the Hartford region demonstrates that the majority of those entering shelters do not come directly from their own place” (Anderson, 2013). The individuals that entered the shelters were staying with friends or family the night before arriving at the shelter.

Have there been other attempts to address the problem? Have they worked well?

Connecticut has experienced some initiatives to resolve the homelessness issue in the past. On March 20, 1990, the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed a decision of the New Haven Housing Court in Savage v. Aronson, l a case brought by the Yale Law School Clinical Program. The trial court had issued a state-wide injunction on behalf of all homeless families residing in emergency housing, ordering Connecticut’s welfare commissioner to stop enforcing the state mandated one-hundred-day maximum on emergency housing assistance (Wizner, 1990). The trial court ruled that rent was too high and resulting in a lack of financial stability for many Connecticut residents. For many of these people, welfare was a form of support. The court saw fit to put in place initiatives to reduce homelessness. Many of these initiatives caught traction, but the financial recession of 2007 brought on a new wave of poverty and unemployment. This has resulted in a rise in homelessness in the region. Despite this there are new programs that can combat the problem. The program for this project is one of them. The following are a few other examples of these programs.

Are there similar programs in the community/area?

The Coalition to End homelessness in Bridgeport Connecticut represents one of the most significant programs similar to the one proposed for this project. They are also a primary source for data on homelessness and provide a variety of resources to both those in need as well as social work practitioners seeking to help with Connecticut’s homelessness issue. Journey Home is another program in Connecticut that combats homelessness and the organization was founded in 2007. The organization is also a part of the Zero: 2016 Campaign, an initiative to reduce homelessness down to a zero population by 2016. The organization administers note that, “We apply sustainable solutions to the barriers that create cycles of homelessness. We are proud to be a lead agency within the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network, administrator of the Universal Housing Application, developer of the Aerospace Employment Placement Program, and funder/facilitator of the 100-day Campaign to Reduce Chronic Homelessness” (Journey Home, 2015). Collaborating with organizations like Journey Home and The Coalition to End Homelessness, could better enhance the programs entry into the market, making for a much easier transition.

Who are the stakeholders?

The stakeholders of this program are community organizers, social workers, politicians, non-profit organizations as well as the homeless themselves and their families. The most important stakeholder is the community as a whole as it enables the possibility for the program to be successful through word of mouth, and financial support from the donors.

Evaluation Data and Analyses

What are the central evaluation questions?

The evaluation questions will focus on the programs ability to effectively reduce instances of homelessness. The following questions are asked to the clients and their families. . An estimated 224 people were asked questions, accounting for 29 families and 70 children.

• Were you homeless when you found out about the program?
• Are you still homeless?
• Did the program provide you with resources necessary to improve your situation?
• How long have you been in the program?
• Do you think you would be able to maintain your current quality of life without assistance from the program?
• Are you currently employed?
• If you are currently employed, did the program play a part in helping you find employment?
• Have you ever stayed at a homeless shelter, if so, for how long?
• Did the program provide you with the resources for accessing the shelter?
• Do you have children?
• If you do have children, while you were homeless, were your children with you or were they under the care of a family member?

What evaluation data will be utilized?

The evaluation data that will be utilized will be the data provided by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. The report data on homelessness populations will be compared to that of precious years before the program was implemented. The survey data can serve as a valid measuring point to assess whether the program is truly a contributing factor. The essential thing to remember is that the program is limited by resources provided by donations, preventing it from only being as effective as the community’s support allows. It is believed that based on past data, the program will be able to make a dent in current homelessness statistics in the Bridgeport area and provide progress.

References

Anderson, E. S. (2013). Homelessness Prevention: An Inexpensive Solution to a Costly Social Problem. Communities.

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. (2015). Homelessness in the greater Bridgeport area. Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

Journey Home. (2015). Who We Are. Journey Home, Hartford, CT.

Wizner, S. (1990). Homelessness: Advocacy and Social Policy. U. Miami L. Rev., 45, 387.