20_25 pages research paper and research presentation 10 slides

Running head: THE HOMELESS PROBLEM IN VENTURA COUNTY ! 1

The Homeless Problem in Ventura County

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The Homeless Problem in Ventura County

Homelessness is one of the problems that hinder the development of the American

society. Approximately two million women, men, and children in the nation are homeless. Such

individuals struggle to stay alive while the society seems to turn its head from the issue. Mostly,

people without insufficient sources of income might end up on the streets. In addition, poor

mental or physical health, domestic violence, lack of affordable housing, poverty, and

unemployment are yet other causes of homelessness in the US. In response to this matter,

different humanitarian organizations urge the government to develop social welfare programs to

mitigate the number of the homeless people in the nation. Similar to most of the counties in the

country, the rate of homelessness in Ventura County, California, is alarming. Thus, both levels of

governments should formulate plans to address homelessness in not only the region but also

other areas facing the same problem.

Background

The Ventura County Homeless Count and Subpopulation research in 2015 indicated that

over 1417adults and children in Ventura County were homeless during the point-in-time count

(Goldstein, 2015). The number shows a slight decrease compared to the numbers of unsheltered

individuals in the preceding year. The cities of Ventura and Oxnard account for two-thirds of the

homeless persons in the county (Council et al., 2016). However, the city of Simi Valley has the

third highest number of the unsheltered population in the county (Goldstein, 2015). The United

States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has requested the local

jurisdiction applicants to undertake “one-day point-in-time” sheltered and unsheltered homeless

count every year to bring the issue to the attention of the society as a whole (Day, 2015). The

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organization requires sheltered count that includes transitional housing programs and emergency

shelters. Additionally, HUD requires local jurisdiction applicants to collect subpopulation

information for different groups that encompass the chronically homeless people, persons with

mental disabilities, chronically unsheltered families, drug abusers, domestic violence victims,

veterans, persons with HIV/Aids as well as unaccompanied youths.

The country administration has been implementing different strategies to curb the

problem. One of these methods includes housing programs for the homeless. Housing First has

assisted the county in the reduction of the issue. The implementation of the program entails

moving homeless people including the chronically unsheltered families from the streets into

structures and offering wrap around services to make sure they are stable (Council et al., 2016).

The Housing First program links chronically homeless people to permanent shelters, thus,

providing subsidized housing services (Day, 2015). The program is different from the housing

readiness approach that that insists that homeless families should address other problems

including mental illnesses and substance abuse through management in transitional housing or

shelter before settling to subsidized permanent shelters.

Secondly, Rapid Re-housing model has contributed in resolving homelessness problems.

The approach helps the families and persons who are not chronically homeless obtain permanent

homes immediately and stabilize them within the shortest time possible. The plan helps people

who have not been in streets for disabling situations and illnesses. Instead, it focusses on people

who have been independent in the past but need temporary assistance for months. The program

helps such families and individuals become self-sufficient through employment or public

assistance (Council et al., 2016). In some cases, Rapid Re-housing program may assist homeless

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people who need long-term monetary assistance in terms of food, low-cost clothing,

transportation, and household supplies.

The third method concerns the Targeted Street Outreach and Engagement that people

promote to accomplish the goal of permanent housing. The project was initiated by Housing

Navigators that concentrate on efforts to connect street families with permanent shelters instead

of offering them with temporary services. The plan accomplishes its missions through identifying

suitable housing and having access to such to opportunities on the initial encounter with street

families. Furthermore, the program assists street families and individuals in navigating the

requirements to access such shelters. Funding these social welfare programs would eventually

eradicate homelessness in Ventura County.

Purpose of Study

The present study seeks to determine various factors that influence homelessness in

Ventura County. Firstly, the study will identify the effects of the implemented social welfare

programs on homelessness. It will determine whether these programs account for the slight

reduction in homelessness. Secondly, the study will evaluate the ratio of the homeless minority

population compared to the Whites. The comparison of homeless population among the

diversified American society may entail the examination of the relationship between income and

homelessness since studies link white families with high incomes compared with minority

households. In the study will investigate the efforts of the administration in the region

concerning measures to eradicate the matter.

Research Question

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What are the contributions of the social inequalities ( Will the only measure of social

inequality be asking race/ethnicity or are there other indicators or variables that measure

inequality?) in the spread of homelessness and the role of the administration in addressing

homelessness?

Data Sources

For one to address the research question, it is vital to consider reliable sources of

information. In the first place, the study will collect data from interviews and social welfare

program records particularly the ones that help the society in resolving the problem. Surveys and

documents reviews would assist the researchers in investigating the details of the matters

including the most affected ethnic communities, and government interventions on the issue.( Will

the only measure of social inequality be asking race/ethnicity or are there other indicators or

variables that measure inequality?)

Study Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1

The government’s social welfare programs are accountable for the decreasing rate of

homelessness in Ventura County. These programs have seen the settlement of a significant

number of street families and unsheltered persons. ( Will the only measure of social inequality be

asking race/ethnicity or are there other indicators or variables that measure inequality?)

Hypothesis 2

The problem of social inequality propagates homelessness in the region. Social identity

might affect an individual’s financial ability since white people might be likely to secure better

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job positions compared to the minorities. ( Will the only measure of social inequality be asking

race/ethnicity or are there other indicators or variables that measure inequality?)

Variables

Dependent: Homelessness

For the researchers to obtain information regarding the issues, it is essential to understand

that the rate of homelessness varies across the different cities in the county. For this reason, the

investigators need to inquire about homelessness from the study informants and seek supporting

evidence from human welfare organization. The researchers will ask different questions about

homelessness to understand the feelings of the community about the problem. In addition, the

researchers will enquire about the reason for the differing rates of homelessness across the cities

in the county. ( Will the only measure of social inequality be asking race/ethnicity or are there

other indicators or variables that measure inequality?)

Independent Variables

Employment

The study will investigate the link between the employment and homelessness. The

researchers ( Will the only measure of social inequality be asking race/ethnicity or are there other

indicators or variables that measure inequality?) should formulate questions to the participants

on the relationship between the two factors. Unemployment reduces people’s financial abilities

and thus, one of the major factors contributing to the problem.

Social inequality

Concerning social inequality, discrimination is one of the problems that could influence

individuals’ financial income. The minority groups including Blacks, Hispanics, and Indians

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have fewer opportunities to secure a high paying job compared to the majority community

(Martin, 2015). Therefore, the study will investigate social inequality as one of the factors for

homelessness. ( Will the only measure of social inequality be asking race/ethnicity or are there

other indicators or variables that measure inequality?)

Sampling

The study will invite willing participants from across the county on a voluntary basis.

The researchers target 300 individuals to inform the research. The researchers will use a

stratifying sampling method to optimize the relevance of the information offered during the

interviews. The study targets persons who have been victims of homelessness, persons who have

earlier engaged with social welfare programs and other individuals informed on the matter.

Data collection and Analysis ( since you mention a survey, for the final paper you should

provide a sample survey and example of coding for future analysis)

The study will use interviews and information collected by social welfare organizations

including HUD to determine the research questions. Before the initial interviews, the participants

will be required to sign an informed consent form. Moreover, the study will ensure that all the

identifying information is protected to conceal the identity of the informants. The research will

utilize a deductive analysis approach that concerns the comparisons between similarities and

differences in both the interviewees’ responses and data from social welfare organizations. In the

analysis phase, the study will use verbatim transcription for the audios recorded during the

interviews. After the transcription, the researchers will reread the data to understand the

participant’s perspectives about homelessness in the region after which they will conduct a data

analysis (Martin, 2015). The study will use coding to determine the connections and

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discontinuities. In the researchers compare contributions of each participant, relate the data to the

information contained in social welfare surveys, and perform data saturation. A potential

limitation of the study includes the sampling method that might exclude people with valuable

information on the matter. Furthermore, the study might require a higher number of participants

to yield results that are more legitimate.

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References

Council, C., Form, C., Clerk, C., Charter, C., Statements, C. D., Enforcement, C., & Rentals, S.

T. V. (2016). Community Development. Housing Services, Adult.

Day, J. E. (2015). Racial disparities and place effects for housing instability and homelessness in

the US (Doctoral dissertation, THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH).

Goldstein, P. (2015). Avoiding the Escalation of Homelessness through Public Policy. Scholarly

Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal, 2(2), 2.

Herring, C. (2013). The new logics of homeless seclusion: A comparative study of large-scale

homeless encampments in the western US (No. 21). Report.

Martin, E. J. (2015). Affordable Housing, Homelessness, and Mental Health: What Heath Care

Policy Needs to Address. Journal of health and human services administration, 38(1), 67.