Do Homeless People Have Community Ties to the Cities and Counties in Which They Are Homeless?
This paper examined "geographical and relational community ties" that homeless persons have to the City of Pasadena and the County of Ventura based on questions that were asked during a recent survey administered to persons who were homeless within these jurisdictions. A geographical community tie was based on whether a survey respondent was born or first became homeless within the jurisdiction in which they were homeless. A geographical community tie was also based on whether a survey respondent considered the jurisdiction in which they were homeless to be their home or whether they considered themselves to be a resident of the jurisdiction. A relational community tie included having family or friends, having worked or currently working, or having attended school in the jurisdiction in which they were homeless.
Geographical and relational community ties were analyzed separately and combined together within each jurisdiction in order to establish a range of ties that homeless persons had to the jurisdiction in which they were homeless. Primary findings include:
Ventura County
Nearly 100% (96%) of survey respondents in Ventura County acknowledged one or more geographical ties to Ventura County. Of these persons, 87% acknowledged two or more relational community ties and 67% acknowledged three or more community ties.
City of Pasadena
More than three-fourths (77%) of survey respondents in Pasadena acknowledged one or more geographical ties to Pasadena. Of these persons, 79% acknowledged two or more relational community ties and 66% acknowledged three or more community ties.
The report was prepared by Joe Colletti, PhD. For a copy of the report click here.
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Pasadena Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program Evaluation
The Office for Urban Initiatives in partnership with the Ecumenical Council of the Pasadena Area Churches and City of Pasadena Housing Department will complete an evaluation of the Pasadena Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP). This program stems from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law by the President of the United States on February 17th, 2009. The Recovery Act established the HPRP Program in order to provide temporary homelessness prevention assistance to households who may become homeless "due to the economic crisis" and "are most likely to achieve stable housing." The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness recently called upon jurisdictions to evaluate their HPRP programs in order to establish best practices learned from the HPRP Program, ensure continuity in the provision of HPRP services, and to ensure that HPRP programs are coordinated with Education for Homeless Children and Youth, and incorporated within federal place-based strategies to improve neighborhoods and schools, including Promise Neighborhoods and Choice Neighborhoods.
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The Haiti Development Initiative:
The Haiti Development Initiative is a project of the Office for Urban Initiatives at Fuller Theological Seminary under the leadership of consultant Claude Alexandre who is an accomplished executive with years of local, national, and international experience in community and economic development.
Mr. Alexandre has initiated several partnerships between U.S. institutions and Haitian institutions over the years. Recently, he has initiated a partnership between Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology and the Faculty of Human Sciences at the State University of Haiti to create a Center for Research and Psychosocial Interventions that will further support the psycho-social needs of the Haitian community as a result of the recent earthquake and other physical disasters.
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Other Activities in Progress:
Urban Initiatives is serving as a consultant for other community-based activities which include:
Human Trafficking in Southern California is a joint effort with Oasis USA, the Western U.S. Office for Stop the Traffik and the Office for Urban Initiatives at Fuller Theological Seminary. Through this partnership, a survey will be completed that will describe the needs of women and men who have been trafficked into Southern California from Asian countries.
Project HOUSED (Housing Outreach Using Service Engagement and Delivery) is a program that Urban Initiatives helped design with the City of Pasadena Housing Department, Pasadena Police Department Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services, Pacific Clinics' Passageways Street Outreach Team, and two national organizations-Common Ground and Corporation of Supportive Housing that will take 15 of the most vulnerable persons living on the streets of Pasadena and move them into permanent housing with on-site social services.
Urban Initiatives is recruiting volunteers to implement a vulnerability index to help identify those homeless who are most at risk for dying on the streets. The index is administered in a form of a survey which captures a homeless individual's health and social status. It identifies the most vulnerable through a ranking system which takes into account risk factors and the duration of homelessness. This ranking allows those with the most severe health risks to be identified and prioritized for permanent supportive housing and other support.
If you are interested in volunteering please contact
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Community-Based and Faith-Based Institutes
Urban Initiatives has established several community-based and faith-based institutes that provide a wide-range of community research, education, evaluation, and development activities that include the following:
Institute for Community Psychology studies, designs, and implements assessments, policies, and programs that help community institutions and systems of care improve the quality of life of local neighborhoods. Activities have focused upon domestic violence, health care, homelessness, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment.
Institute for Transnational Research and Development is dedicated to the transformation of communities by engaging members in reflection and action that is based firmly in their contexts. ITRD understands the inter-connectivity of communities across national borders, thereby working to strengthen their natural networks and flows.
Institute for Vital Economic and Neighborhood Development facilitates neighborhood economic revitalization by creating viable employment and income generating opportunities through the development of successful worker-owned, small business enterprises.
Office for Urban Initiatives. In addition, Urban Initiatives has established the Office for Urban Initiatives in partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary which is located on the seminary campus. It provides opportunities for students and others from various educational institutions and other community organizations to strengthen their understanding of urban issues through collaborative research and community service.
For more information click here. |
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Urban Initiatives (formerly known as the Institute for Urban Research and Development)
responds to the economic, housing, and social needs of neighborhoods, cities, and counties from
local, regional,
national, international, and faith-based perspectives through program development and community-based research. Such activities has focused on affordable housing, business development and education for micro-businesses, fair housing, health care, homelessness, human trafficking, migrant farming, and street vending. |
For information contact
Joe Colletti, PhD
Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
Sofia Herrera, PhD Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
sofiaherrera@urban-initiatives.org
Andrew Wright
Office for Urban Initiatives/ Fuller Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
626.304.3753
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