Homelessness is a major concern in the US, primarily in California. From 2015 to 2020, the number of unsheltered homeless increased by 30% despite a decline in the ratio of sheltered homeless by about 10% (Richards and Kuhn 2). About 500,000 people experienced homelessness in America in 2020. The problem is highly pronounced in California, given that more than 30% of homeless persons in America in 2022 lived in the state (Paluch & Herrera para 1). This makes California the home to America’s largest homeless population. Besides, the state has experienced an increase in the number of homeless people by 6% since 2020. California’s handling of the housing crisis has been problematic, with the state government investing more in crackdowns following the Covid-19 outbreak than housing construction (Levin para 14). This underscores a need to explore how homelessness affects people and recommend lasting solutions to overcome this problem. Understanding the current effects of homelessness in California is crucial in ensuring that the state and federal governments use proven methods to provide shelter because it is a fundamental human right.
Research Questions
- What are the causes of homelessness in California?
- How does homelessness affect the physical, socioeconomic, and mental well-being of affected communities?
- What measures what California and the federal government implement to address the housing crisis?
Annotated Bibliography
Anthony, Elizabeth R., Aviva Vincent, and Yoonkyung Shin. “Parenting and child experiences in shelter: A qualitative study exploring the effect of homelessness on the parent–child relationship.” Child & Family Social Work 23.1 2018: 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12376
This qualitative study comprises interviews with 19 parents to understand the effect of homelessness on children and the impact of living in emergency shelters on the parent’s abilities. The researchers proposed that the child-parent relationship is the mechanism through which homelessness experience negatively influences child development. The results, which aligned with the attachment theory, confirmed that children’s negative encounters with homelessness originated from parents’ perceived disempowerment over parenting obligations, conveyed to children via child-parent relationship. This leads to poor developmental outcomes evidenced by aggressive and defiant behavior, altered relationships with environments, and confusion about the surroundings. The study sheds light on behavioral and emotional problems in homeless children. This helps understand the effects of homelessness on affected populations, making the article integral to the present research.
Aubry, Tim, et al. “Effectiveness of permanent supportive housing and income assistance interventions for homeless individuals in high-income countries: a systematic review.” The Lancet Public Health 5.6 2020: e342-e360. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30055-4
The researchers completed a meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of income assistance and supportive housing on homeless people’s social and health outcomes. This was founded on the fact that homelessness reduces social and physical well-being and presents critical public health concerns for communicable diseases. The findings revealed that income assistance and permanent supportive housing interventions effectively reduce homelessness and promote housing stability, making them crucial in addressing unsheltered homeless’s social and physical well-being. The use of meta-analyses and systematic review was vital in this study because it allowed the investigators to review findings from different studies to recommend reliable interventions.
The research sheds light on potential interventions for housing challenges in California and will be used to explore viable options that the government should implement.
Byrne, Thomas, et al. “A classification model of homelessness using integrated administrative data: Implications for targeting interventions to improve the housing status, health and well-being of a highly vulnerable population.” Plos One 15.8 (2020): e0237905. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237905
The study developed and validated a classification model using administrative data about homelessness to promote targeted interventions addressing the health needs of people experiencing homelessness. The results underscore the value of using data to predict homelessness trends to improve the identification of housing instability risk and other factors that negatively affect the welfare of unsheltered homeless. This approach of using administrative data increased the efficiency of targeting specialized interventions, particularly behavioral and healthcare interventions. This way, service providers can enhance the coordination of interventions and improve health outcomes.
While this research does not address the effects of homelessness, it provides insights into the value of administrative data in recommending appropriate interventions. This input is valuable to the current investigation.
Fowler, Patrick J et al. “Solving Homelessness from a Complex Systems Perspective: Insights for Prevention Responses.” Annual Review of Public Health vol. 40, 2019: 465–486. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013553
Homelessness represents lasting public health concerns facing communities globally besides exposing marginalized adults, children, and families to life course problems related to housing insecurity as communities struggle to address numerous needs and wants of homeless populations. Against this background, Fowler and colleagues investigated the causes, effects, and responses to homelessness from a complex systems point of view. The authors observed that while coordinated responses deliver different services that address complex needs, prioritizing services based on vulnerability misses the prevention opportunities, exerting pressure on the service system. They highlighted the need to fully integrate homeless prevention into service networks to achieve a sustainable decline in housing insecurity. This source expertly explores the issues of interest in the current research, making it valuable.
The source will be used to examine the causes and impacts of homelessness as well as the best solutions.
Humphries, Joe, and Sarah L. Canham. “Conceptualizing the shelter and housing needs and solutions of homeless older adults.” Housing Studies 36.2, 2021: 157–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1687854.
Humphries and Canham used a scoping review to study the needs for housing homeless senior adults and possible solutions. Based on the researchers, homeless older people are understudies despite their unique psychosocial and health vulnerabilities. They found that housing senior citizens should focus on early interventions as well as rapid rehousing alongside housing and support alternatives with a vast car network that fosters a client-directed and respectful age-appropriate approach to promote positive social connection and engagement. They underscored the need to reduce isolation and stigma. This source sheds light on different interventions to homelessness that California should explore. As such, the article is useful in comparing interventions with other publications, such as the solutions provided by Fowler and colleagues.
Kohut, Chris, and Matt Patterson. “Being homeless at the “End” of homelessness navigating the symbolic and social boundaries of housing first.” Canadian Review of Sociology 59.1, 2022: 59–75. DOI: 10.1111/cars.12369
Through structured interviews, Kohut and Patterson examined how housing first (HF) policies address the lived experiences of the people on the streets and in shelters. This research was worthwhile, given that HF has become the dominant approach in addressing homelessness in North America, including in states like California. Kohut and Patterson found that HF established social and symbolic boundaries that create dilemmas in people experiencing homelessness (PEH) that must be managed creatively using boundary-work. In most cases, PEHs feel discriminated against and surveilled by neighbors and landlords, affecting community integration of HF programs. This implies that policymakers must change tactics and address these concerns to ensure HF policies benefit the target population.
The source will be used to understand how PEH perceives HF and how this might have affected the adoption of interventions by state and federal governments. It is also valuable in recommending improved HF interventions.
Nicholas, Will, et al. “Using Point-in-Time Homeless Counts to Monitor Mortality Trends Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County, California, 2015‒2019.” American Journal of Public Health 111.12, 2021: 2212–2222. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2021.306502
Unlike other articles included in this annotation, Nicholas et al. examined the effects of homelessness by evaluating reports on mortality rates, causes of death, and mortality rate ratios among PEH in Los Angeles County, California, using annual point-in-time homeless figures. The scholar enumerated homeless fatalities and assessed causes using medical examiner-coroner (MEC) data from 2015 to 2019. The outcomes showed increased mortality rates between 2015 and 2019, with drug overdose being the leading cause. Urban jurisdictions that seek to understand and lower the mortality rate of the homeless population can benefit from this study. The investigation is useful in exploring the effects of homelessness and factors that increase the risk of death among PEH.
Nicholls, Melanie J., and Lianne A. Urada. “Homelessness and polysubstance use: A qualitative study on recovery and treatment access solutions around an urban library in Southern California, USA.” Health & Social Care in The Community 30.1 (2022): e175-e183. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13424.
The qualitative research investigated the intersectionality of substance abuse and experiencing homelessness and its effects on recovery barriers along with recovery and treatment facilitators. Based on the results, recovery barriers include withdrawal symptoms, coping with homelessness, and challenges accessing resources. On the other hand, facilitators to recovery and treatment include overdose education, improved Narcan access, access to resources, and social support to overcome isolation and trauma. This research is unique because it emphasizes the recovery experiences of homeless people with substance abuse problems. It is valuable in the current study since it underpins the need to combine housing interventions with treatment to ensure sustainable outcomes.
Qian, Cindy Wu, and Joshua Hauser. “Perspectives of homeless service providers on their work, their clients, and the healthcare system.” Plos One 17.5 (2022): e0268765. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268765
The qualitative cross-sectional study targeted Chicago homeless service providers to understand their perspectives on their clients, healthcare system, and work. The scholars hypothesized that the interaction of service providers with persons experiencing homelessness positively affected the participants’ attitudes toward individuals receiving the services. The findings supported this hypothesis as the investigators reported that service providers have compassionate attitudes that improve their clients’ experiences. They express frustration at individual biases and systematic issues against homeless populations. A deeper understanding of service providers’ perspectives can help guide staffing and training efforts to improve the welfare of homeless populations.
The source underscores the mediating role of service providers in individuals experiencing homeliness. Adverse health outcomes are common among those experiencing homelessness, and this article illuminates the importance of understanding service providers’ perspectives.
Works Cited
Anthony, Elizabeth R., Aviva Vincent, and Yoonkyung Shin. “Parenting and child experiences in shelter: A qualitative study exploring the effect of homelessness on the parent–child relationship.” Child & Family Social Work 23.1, 2018: 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12376
Aubry, Tim, et al. “Effectiveness of permanent supportive housing and income assistance interventions for homeless individuals in high-income countries: a systematic review.” The Lancet Public Health 5.6, 2020: e342-e360. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30055-4
Byrne, Thomas, et al. “A classification model of homelessness using integrated administrative data: Implications for targeting interventions to improve the housing status, health and well-being of a highly vulnerable population.” Plos one 15.8 (2020): e0237905. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237905
Fowler, Patrick J et al. “Solving Homelessness from a Complex Systems Perspective: Insights for Prevention Responses.” Annual Review of Public Health vol. 40, 2019: 465–486. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013553
Humphries, Joe, and Sarah L. Canham. “Conceptualizing the shelter and housing needs and solutions of homeless older adults.” Housing Studies 36.2, 2021: 157–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1687854.
Kohut, Chris, and Matt Patterson. “Being homeless at the “End” of homelessness navigating the symbolic and social boundaries of housing first.” Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie 59.1 (2022): 59-75. DOI: 10.1111/cars.12369
Levin, Sam. ‘We have failed’: How California’s homelessness catastrophe is worsening.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/22/california-homelessness-crisis-unhoused-and-unequal
Nicholas, Will, et al. “Using Point-in-Time Homeless Counts to Monitor Mortality Trends Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County, California, 2015‒2019.” American Journal of Public Health 111.12 2021: 2212–2222. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2021.306502
Nicholls, Melanie J., and Lianne A. Urada. “Homelessness and polysubstance use: A qualitative study on recovery and treatment access solutions around an urban library in Southern California, USA.” Health & social care in the community 30.1 (2022): e175-e183. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13424.
Paluch, Jennifer, and Joseph Herrera. “Homeless Populations Are Rising around California.” Public Policy Institute of California, 2023, https://www.ppic.org/blog/homeless-populations-are-rising-around-california/.
Qian, Cindy Wu, and Joshua Hauser. “Perspectives of homeless service providers on their work, their clients, and the healthcare system.” Plos One 17.5 (2022): e0268765. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268765
Richards, Jessica, and Randall Kuhn. “Unsheltered homelessness and health: A literature review.” AJPM Focus 2022: 100043.
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