RESUMEN
The provision and siting of homeless emergency shelters have community-wide implications for addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness (PEH). In Utah, Salt Lake County's transition from a large, centralized emergency shelter sited in a free transit zone to a decentralized scattered-site model outside of a no-cost transit zone provided the context to evaluate how transportation access and mobility patterns of PEH were affected as they were displaced from a centralized service network in a downtown core. We conducted 19 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with PEH aged 18 + who were staying in one of three distributed resource centers who had also previously stayed at the former centralized shelter. Thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in three categories, each with distinct sub-categories: 1) Pre-decentralization transportation and mobility, 2) Post-decentralization transportation and mobility, and 3) Recommendations to improve transportation access for PEH, including lowering or eliminating financial barriers to transportation and expanding transit and shuttle van frequency and route radius. Study findings demonstrate that there is a significant need for community planners to collaborate on the siting of homeless shelters to provide more affordable, flexible, and equitable access to transportation networks.
Asunto(s)
Personas con Mala Vivienda , Humanos , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Vivienda , Transportes , PolíticaRESUMEN
Despite steady increases in homelessness in the U.S., only recently has research on transportation needs and use for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) been the focus of research endeavours. Moreover, limited research has identified how the geographic relocation of homeless community services and resources impacts the transportation needs of PEH and how this process affects access to health and social services. To fill this gap in the literature, using a community-engaged research approach, we conducted a qualitative research study in which 24 professionals working in planning, transportation, local government, and the homelessness services sector were engaged in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. We examined participant perspectives on how PEH transportation needs and use changed after three new emergency shelters replaced a centralised one, and how access to health and social services was impacted. Data were organised into three overarching categories: (1) Changes in transportation need and use following decentralisation; (2) Impact of transportation changes on PEH access to services; and (3) Recommendations for improving transportation access. Findings suggest the need to offer PEH transportation on demand, provide education on transportation and system navigation, and increase transportation-related funding for homeless service providers and PEH to ensure transportation costs are not a barrier to healthcare and social services.
Asunto(s)
Refugio de Emergencia , Personas con Mala Vivienda , Humanos , Problemas Sociales , Servicio Social , Investigación CualitativaRESUMEN
Experiences of homelessness, although widely varied, are characterized by extensive time in public spaces, often outdoors. However, there has been little empirical research about the ways in which environmental factors affect individuals experiencing homelessness (IEHs). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use an environmental justice approach to understand how cardiopulmonary health of IEHs is affected by episodic poor air quality in Salt Lake County. It was hypothesized that people who had experienced unsheltered homelessness and those who had been experiencing homelessness for longer periods of time would report greater health difficulties from poor air quality exposure. Through a combination of in-person semistructured interviews with IEHs (n = 138) and access to corresponding state-based service provider databases, researchers examined both overall descriptives of and relationships between types (sheltered and unsheltered) and duration (chronic and nonchronic) of homelessness. More than 61% of IEHs reported physical reactions to air pollution, 37% reported air pollution-related emotional stress, and more than 89% had sought medical attention for a condition related to air pollution. Findings indicate that while IEHs report a number of health effects related to poor air quality, there were no significant differences between individuals based on either sheltered status or duration of their experiences of homelessness. This study provides an initial empirical inquiry to understand how environmental disamenities negatively influence IEHs, as well as noting that sheltered status and duration of homelessness are less impactful than originally hypothesized.
Asunto(s)
Contaminación del Aire , Salud , Personas con Mala Vivienda , Contaminación del Aire/efectos adversos , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales , Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Personas con Mala Vivienda/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Utah/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
This study explores sense of community (SOC) among low-income college students. The development of a SOC among college students, especially low-income students, may be particularly vital because of its implications for student success. Six low-income Arizona State University students were selected based on receipt of a prestigious last-dollar scholarship. Using narrative inquiry, participants were interviewed about their understanding and experiences with communities. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Participant narratives were created to provide context and in-depth understanding of experiences. We identified the following themes: (a) mutual support and caring; (b) shared values and goals; (c) interaction and intentionality; and (d) community as self-constructed, intersecting, and nonlinear. These findings expand existing literature on SOC, with an emphasis on low-income students in university settings. This research offers an opportunity to examine ways in which universities and student services can provide students an opportunity to better understand their own SOC.