Homelessness Training Session

Yesterday I went to a training session about the emergency shelter system for families in Massachusetts. I was surprised at the hoops families have to jump through to be housed in a shelter. The state agencies deter families from applying, makes it very hard for them to be eligible, and makes it challenging for families to re-enter the shelter system if they leave. I was overwhelmed by the obvious faults of the system, but also the struggle that there aren’t easy solutions. Children’s HealthWatch, my fellowship organization, is working on report about the negative maternal and child health effects that are evident among families behind on rent. Typically the health of children is most compromised among homeless children, but our analyses revealed that families behind on rent have a strikingly similarly poor health status. I am struggling with what to do with this information and how positive change can be inflicted on the systemic level. My fellowship has both a research and a policy component and while I have done research before the policy side is more new to me. The policy side to scientific analyses is the area where I am learning so much about. At first glance there seem to be easy systemic solutions such as using funds for housing subsidies and housing stabilization to avoid the need for shelters. While MA policy does have a new emphasis on homelessness prevention what happens to the thousands of families already homeless? While it is clear the current system isn’t effective as all shelters are at capacity, yet more families need the services daily, how can the system transition into one where there is less of a need for shelters? At the point closest to impact, these children and families need a safe place to sleep tonight. I have been lucky to see examples of answers to some of my questions and thoughts in other research topics I’ve been working on. For example the there is a Food Stamps/SNAP coalition meeting that I attend monthly, where members of all sorts of different organizations come together to problem solve and brainstorm ways to reach more families and ensure families are getting the greatest benefit possible. This group has implemented many improvements to the program over the years and in one instance I know there change became a national standard. Having spent so much time at Princeton in the library researching and thinking through issues it is exciting to be in a position where I am still able to research and think through real life problems, but I have the opportunity to go one step further and see the action steps that follow.