Comparing Mental Health Interventions From the Past to the Present

HUM5010 THE HOMELESSNESS EPIDEMIC

TRANSCRIPT FOR INTERACTIVE LEARNING MODULE (THE HOMELESSNESS EPIDEMIC)

HUM5010: The Homelessness Epidemic

[The screen displays the University of Arizona Global Campus logo at the top of the screen. The

screen title is HUM5010: The Homelessness Epidemic. The background image shows a

depressed unhoused person.]

Screen 1: Learning Outcomes

In this interactive, you will examine the homelessness epidemic in the United States and learn

how the human services industry is or is not responding to it.

Screen 2: Note to Learners

You will answer self-check quiz questions at the end of this activity to help reinforce your

understanding of the concepts you’ll learn. For each question, choose the correct answer(s) and

select the Submit button to proceed.

Screen 3: Important Aspects of Homelessness

As homelessness epidemic continues to plague American cities, various aspects must be

considered.

[The screen displays a selection taps for Facts, Categories, and Types. The screen will jump to

a different screen once each tab is selected.]

Select each element to learn more. Select Next once all have been visited. This interactive is

longer in duration. You are not expected to complete it in one sitting and may return to it as

needed.

• Facts

• Categories

• Types

Screen 4: The Homeless Epidemic in American Cities

In major cities, rural communities, and suburbs across America, homelessness continues to

increase.

[The screen displays four hotspot tabs to select.]

Select each hotspot to review four main facts.

Fact 1: Tent communities or homeless encampments can be found in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Portland, etc. (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2024).

Fact 2: Approximately 653,104 people experienced homelessness on a single night in Jan. 2023.

Fact 3: With increasing housing costs, some people may become homeless as a result of lack of affordability.

Fact 4: Veterans are more likely to experience chronic homelessness at higher rates than others.

Screen 5: Categories of Homelessness

There are several categories of homelessness (Henry et al., 2024). These include the following:

[The screen displays a slideshow with segments 1 to 3 to select.]

Select the arrow buttons to explore more. Once finished, select the Next button.

Slide 1: Literal: Someone who is literally unhoused sleeps in a public or a private space not meant for habitation.

Slide 2: Imminent Risk: Someone at imminent risk of homelessness will lose a home within 14 days, and they lack the resources to obtain a new home.

Slide 3; Other Federal Statutes: Someone who is homeless under other federal statutes may be an unaccompanied youth or may have lost their home 60 days ago.

Screen 6: Types of Homelessness

[The screen displays four tabs to select. The screen will jump to a different screen once each

tab is selected.]

Select each type of homelessness to learn more. Select Next once all have been visited.

• Domestic Violence

• Couch Surfing

• Veterans and Homelessness

• Vehicular Homelessness

Screen 7: Domestic Violence

Someone fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence is considered housing insecure.

Fleeing domestic violence is one of the main reasons a family may be considered homeless.

Shelters may provide transitional housing for families seeking a safe place and a new home

(National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2025).

Each year, approximately 500,000 people seek shelter housing (Henry et al., 2024). Housing

subsidies may provide solutions to domestic violence survivors’ housing insecurity. Still,

additional services are needed to help families avoid homelessness in the future and remain

safe.

Screen 8: Couch Surfing

Some people may sleep on a friend’s couch (couch surfing) or in a spare bedroom or live in

their cars, abandoned buildings, motels, or tents (National Health Care for the Homeless

Council, 2021).

[The screen displays two tabs to select.]

Select each tab to learn more.

Overview

A hidden form of homelessness known as couch surfing is associated with youth between the

ages of 13 and 25 years old (Petry, 2022). Students can fall into this category during long

holiday breaks (winter and summer) from college. A teen may sleep on their friend’s couch for

months before moving into another friend’s home and begin the cycle again. They don’t often

have the money to live independently and don’t often want to live with their parents. Some of

these individuals can be considered runaways.

Facts

• Approximately 4.2 million youth each year can be couch surfing.

• They may live in shelters, motels, on the street, and couch surf.

• They can be part of the LGBTIQA+ community.

• They may engage in survival sex.

• They experience high rates of sexual victimization.

Screen 9: Veterans and Homelessness

Why do veterans experience homelessness after fighting for their country?

[The screen displays three hotspots to select.]

Select each segment in the visual to learn more.

Reasons

Veterans experience homelessness due to

• lack of affordable housing

• mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia

• traumatic brain injuries and other physical conditions

• disabilities

Statistics 1

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined since 2009. However, these

numbers represent veterans who lived in shelters across America (Martin, 2022). Approximately

89% of the veteran population experiencing homelessness are men, and 11% are women

(National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2025).

Statistics 2

Several states (Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, Texas, and Minnesota) have ended veteran

homelessness with the Veteran Administration’s help (Diaz, 2025; National Alliance to End

Homelessness, 2025).

Screen 10: Vehicular Homelessness

An increasing number of Americans are living in vehicles due to housing insecurity, prompting

the rise of safe spaces as a response to the risks and criminalization they face.

[The screen displays a slideshow with four segments to select.]

Select the arrow buttons to explore more and use the scroll to read entire text. One finished

select the Next button.

Overview

Cars, vans, and recreational vehicles (RVs) are in designated safe parking lots throughout the

United States due to vehicular homelessness (Robbins, 2023). Washington, California, and local

governments have many families living in their vehicles. These numbers are hard to quantify

because parking overnight at various parking lots may result in numerous tickets and eventual

towing.

Unfortunately, the criminalization of mobile homelessness has led people to park their vehicles

in unsafe places that may lead to theft of belongings and the vehicle (Robbins, 2023). For this

reason, safe parking lots have begun emerging in urban and rural communities (Paulas, 2024).

Resources are limited, and some people do not apply for housing simply because they are not

aware that help is available from local organizations.

Characteristics

The characteristics of people experiencing mobile homelessness include the following (Robbins,

2023; Giamarino et al., 2022):

• They were not considered homeless in the past.

• They have a job or steady income (Robbins, 2023; Giamarino et al., 2022).

• They have money saved in a bank account.

• They cannot afford the rising cost of housing.

• They may have children and pets living with them in their cars, RVs, or vans.

Reasons

California has struggled to find solutions for the increase in vehicle homelessness because

• many chose to live in their vehicle instead of a sidewalk, park, or highway underpasses

(Giamarino et al., 2022).

• shelters can be unsafe due to criminal activities.

Solution

Nonprofit organizations have designated safe parking lots to keep this growing population safe.

Tiny homes have become an option to combat the homelessness crisis in California (Kendall,

2024). As of 2024, 181,000 people are unhoused, and 123,000 are living in encampments

(tents) in California. Communities in Los Angeles, San Diego County, San Jose, and

Sacramento will receive the homes. Tiny homes can be 70-120 sq. ft. with or without bathrooms.

Screen 11: Question 1

True or false? There are 186,000 unhoused people living in California.

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: true

Option 2: false

Correct answer: false

Incorrect answer feedback: As of a 2024 report, 181,000 people are unhoused.

Correct answer feedback: As of a 2024 report, 181,000 people are unhoused.

Screen 12: Question 2

Where can tent communities be found?

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: Miami

Option 2: Seattle

Option 3: Charleston

Option 4: Toronto

Correct answer: Seattle

Incorrect answer feedback: Please close this dialog box and try again.

Correct answer feedback: Yes, Seattle has tent communities.

Screen 13: Question 3

True or false? Some states have criminalized homelessness by making it illegal to live in public

spaces (e.g., parks, sidewalks).

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: true

Option 2: false

Correct answer: true

Incorrect answer feedback: Please close this dialog box and try again.

Correct answer feedback: Way to go! It is true that some states have criminalized

homelessness by making it illegal to live in public spaces (e.g., parks, sidewalks).

Screen 14: Question 4

Veteran homelessness is ________.

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: increasing

Option 2: decreasing

Option 3: has not shown a change since 2010

Option 4: None of the choices are correct.

Correct answer: decreasing

Incorrect answer feedback: Please close this feedback dialog and try again.

Correct answer feedback: Way to go! Veteran homelessness is decreasing.

Screen 15: Question 5

Couch surfing can be associated with students who have the following characteristic(s):

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: are part of the LGBTIQA+ community

Option 2: engage in survival sex

Option 3: are runaways

Option 4: may also live in shelters

Option 5: All of these choices are correct.

Option 6: None of these choices are correct.

Correct answer: All of these choices are correct.

Incorrect answer feedback: Please close this feedback dialog and try again.

Correct answer feedback: Yes! All of the choices are characteristics of students who couch

surf.

Screen 16: Question 6

_____ are/is a solution to help survivors of domestic violence avoid homelessness.

Select the correct option and then select the Submit button.

[The students will be given two attempts.]

Option 1: Shelters

Option 2: Group homes

Option 3: Couch surfing

Option 4: Tiny homes

Correct answer: Shelters, Group homes, Couch surfing

Incorrect answer feedback: Please close this feedback dialog and try again.

Correct answer feedback: Shelters, group homes, and couch surfing are all solutions to avoid

domestic violence and homelessness.

Screen 17: Summary

In this homelessness epidemic interactive, you identified various forms of homelessness and

the impact of various policies. You also analyzed common risk factors that increase housing

insecurity among vulnerable populations.

Screen 18: References

• Diaz, M. (2025, January 11). Veteran homelessness reaches record low, decreasing by

7.5% since 2023. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA News.

https://news.va.gov/137562/veteran-homelessness-reaches-record-low-

2023/#:~:text=Further%2C%2085%20communities%20and%20three,both%20effectively

%20ended%20Veteran%20homelessness.

• Giamarino, C., Blumenberg, E., & Brozen, M. (2022). Who lives in vehicles and why?

Understanding vehicular homelessness in Los Angeles. Housing Policy Debate, 34(1),

25–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2022.2117990

• Henry, M., Travis, A., Lopez, V., & Tano, C. (2024, May). 2022 annual homelessness

assessment report (AHAR) to Congress, part 2: Annual estimates of sheltered

homelessness in the United States. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/AHAR-Part-2-

2022.pdf

• Kendall, M. (2024, January 11). Newsom administration makes progress on tiny home

promise. CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/01/california-

tiny-homes-contracts/

Screen 18: (Exit Screen)

The University of Arizona Global Campus

You have completed this activity.

Select the RESTART button to revisit this activity.

[There is a RESTART button that can be selected to restart the activity.]