Research Log #1 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 4, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have
chronic and physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper health care.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

Early in the abstract, it is stated, “However, homelessness continues to be a recalcitrant public health
problem in the United States, as those experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic mental and
physical health conditions, co-occurring disorders, and barriers to health care and affordable housing.”

“Overall, homeless youths are more likely than their housed counterparts to experience negative health
outcomes, including chronic health conditions or problems such as HIV, substance abuse, violence, and
mental health issues,” the American Public Health Association reports.

“Furthermore, individuals experiencing homelessness overuse emergency services,” the American Public
Health Association sternly details, “leading to higher costs for treatment.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

This website provides arguments regarding the effects of homelessness on society. The authors
suggest that homelessness is a public health issue. Many homeless individuals have mental and physical
health conditions, disorders, and have the inability to access good healthcare when needed the most. These
setbacks will not only be difficult, but it’ll also cause more problems in the future for homeless people.
In 2016, about 20% of homeless individuals were reported with severe mental illnesses while 17%
were reported with chronic substance use problem. These people lack the resources to receive proper
treatment and services. These obstacles cause their chronic conditions to worsen, which lessens their
opportunity to apply for housing or income stability. Additionally, the odds of death are high for homeless
people with their risk being 1.5 to 11.5 times greater than the risk of the general population. Living
unsheltered increases one’s chance of seizing communicable diseases such as HIV or tuberculosis and
conditions such as hepatitis C and diabetes. If they receive emergency services (from both intentional and
unintentional actions), costs for treatment are beyond than what homeless individuals can afford.
There will never be one solution to ending homelessness. Many believe that homelessness is caused
by poor life decisions, when in reality, it’s an extremely complex issue including adults and children. Though
it may seem unrealistic for some due to economic factors, to recover correctly, homeless individuals should
be given affordable treatment for minor injuries and counseling for the mentally ill and drug addicts. As
homelessness continues, more should be done to provide the appropriate care homeless people need to
ensure their health and safety as human beings.
Work Cited (correct MLA format):

“Housing and Homelessness as a Public Health Issue.” AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, 7
November 2017. Web. 5 February 2020.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published in the American Health Association site
and is nationally accredited.
 Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 10, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have
chronic and physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper health care.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

In his introduction, Berry states, “But if you talk to panhandlers, many of them will tell you that your few
dollars don’t necessarily go towards feeding the body, they go towards feeding an addiction.”

“We pay our panhandlers nine dollars an hour. We feed them once at the jobsite. At the end of the day, our
old Dodge van takes them right back to St. Martin’s, and they get connected with counseling services,” Berry
explains.

There has been success in housing the homeless: “We have now housed 650 chronically homeless, medically
vulnerable – frankly, most likely to die on the streets in our city.”

“We can tell the taxpayers, we can save you 31.6 percent,” Berry says with confidence, “over the cost of
leaving someone to struggle for survival on the streets.”

The economy is thriving: “We’ve now saved over five million dollars while housing 650 people.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

Published in 2017, this Ted Talk shares a method on how to tackle homelessness by giving them day
jobs doing landscape beautification in designated areas. They’re also given places to sleep, food to eat, and
services that will be beneficial for their health. Richard J. Berry, the mayor of Albuquerque began this
effective campaign to give homeless individuals hope and a chance at a change in their lives. By devoting
their time to work, panhandlers gain a sense of worth, understanding that they can make a difference to their
community, which can increase their morale and their view on themselves.
When seeing a homeless individual on the street, most of the time, people others just walk away,
while some tend to give them money. However, by handing money to the homeless, they’re actually
minimizing the opportunity to help that person in need. Say, for example, if someone were to give a
panhandler five dollars, most of the time, it’ll go towards buying drugs and alcohol, whereas if that was
donated to a homeless shelter, it would provide meals for seven people. With the help of his team, Berry was
able to provide jobs toward 1,689 panhandlers, housed 20 panhandlers, and provided mental health and
substance abuse services for 151 panhandlers. Subsequently, because many were housed, about five million
dollars were saved. The state of Albuquerque was able to reduce chronic homelessness by 40 percent.
 When dealing with one of the most stubborn social issues in a community, it’s important to think
differently, to provide unique ideas that could make a change. As a society, we need to approach the
homeless with respect and start encouraging them that with their help, they could impact the community.
Through the dignity of work, the population of homelessness will soon to decrease. By educating other states
and its leaders on how to implement programs that provide work, they’ll begin to see a transformation in the
economy, their society, but most importantly, in the homeless population.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Berry, Richard J. “A Practical Way to Help the Homeless Find Work and Safety.” TED. Feb. 2017. Lecture.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it is published on Ted Talk, a famous known media
organization.
 Research Log #3 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 18, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’
values are degraded.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

Hotels were too expensive: “Slowly, there were fewer nights in hotels and more in the van, until the van was
where they lived.”

“A life of homelessness is one of logistical challenges and exhaustion,” Potts declares.

With discontent, Russaw announces, “You feel disenfranchised from your own society.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

As many homeless individuals struggle to come up with the money to pay rent, affordable housing
and temporary places are difficult to find in a city with the most expensive housing market in the country.
Suzan and her husband, James, has been living under temporary living spaces for almost three years. In the
beginning of this tiring journey, they stayed at a local shelter, motels, and hotels. However, payments per
night soon began to be out of their budget, forcing them to live in their 1994 Ford Explorer.
Besides not having proper shelter, the biggest problems for Suzan and James was where to pull over
and sleep. They weren’t allowed to park on a residential block or else the neighbors will call the police. They
were never able to sleep comfortable in their car just in case a police officer caught them. Because of the
neighbors’ concerns, the police department was in need of a law that bans vehicle habitation. The ban was
passed but was overturned because it wasn’t enough to actually solve homelessness. After James passed
away, it greatly affected Suzan in a way where she began to feel even more out of place in society. She
continued to have trouble finding temporary housing for a few months due to it being too expensive or her
having a poor credit score.
With homelessness, comes many setbacks. Homelessness is too big of an issue for any city to resolve.
Because of expensive housing in a city with a rising economy, many homeless individuals are forced to live
on the streets or in their vehicle, which can increase their risk of health problems. However, new resolutions
have been proposed. For example, a solution in San Jose included buying old hotels and renovating them as
shelters, making 585 new beds available for the homeless. With the proper help, homeless individuals will be
able to find ways to be stably housed, not having to worry what’s going to happen next.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Potts, Monica. “Dispossessed in the Land of Dreams.” The New Republic. 13 December 2015. Web. 18
February 2020.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published in The New Republic, where its politics,
cultures, and ideas are told from an un-biased point of view.
 Research Log #4 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 24, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’
values are degraded.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

Imislund explains, “There’s always been efforts to get rid of Skid Row. It’s a warren for people who are
unable to live in the world. They’ve tried to move Skid Row again and again, but it just moves to a different
area.”

“And people didn’t come down on this end of downtown,” Cohen sternly details, “because this is where all
the heroin addicts lived.”

Those living on the street struggle with their self-esteem: “But telling you that you are a failure, you’re never
gonna be nobody, now you are living on Skid Row in some garbage. I think you can be convinced that you
ain’t nothing.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

This documentary is based on Skid Row, which is located in Downtown Los Angeles, and the people
living in it. It is a neighborhood filled with homeless people due to drug addiction, mental illness, or inability
to purchase a home. For many, it’s the last stop after losing everything valuable. Like Clancy Imislund
explained in the beginning of the documentary, efforts to remove Skid Row has been unsuccessful. In fact,
it’s been gradually moving east. Instead of providing health and support services to the homeless, the
authorities would rather try to eliminate it.
In Skid Row, there’s a separation between the rich and poor. In a way, gentrification had overtaken
Skid Row. The neighborhood is seen as potential real estate for wealthy people. When Emmanuel Compito
began a volunteer brigade to clean the streets, many homeless people felt a sense of worth due to others
saying “Thank you” for their service. That type of remark can impact one’s self-esteem, which can be
destroyed as a homeless.
In the topic of homelessness, money, the economy, plays a big role. Although proving health and
support services can tend to be expensive, the authorities should put more effort in helping the homeless, not
trying to remove them. As for real estate, people are interested in profiting from it, rather than being
interested on those who live in Skid Row and understanding how they ended up there.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Napper, Thomas. “Lost Angels.” Amazon Prime Video, commentary by Catherine Keener, June 2010.

This is a reputable and reliable article because Amazon Prime provides quality documentaries, films, and
shows for the public.
 Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 28, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public
resources, generating expenses, and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

Early in the abstract, it is detailed, “Arresting their way out of a problem is not always the best response on
many levels given the cost to taxpayers as well as the possible strain put on community relationships.”

“While not a crime in itself,” Hipple states, “homelessness is increasingly becoming a public safety issue as
business owners, tourists, commuters, and neighborhood residents look to law enforcement to manage the
homeless population.”

“The current criminal justice system is not user-friendly for someone who… most likely does not have a
support system in place to bring prescription medications to the jail, a job to pay court costs and fees
resulting from the arrest and jail stay…” Hipple justifies.

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

As the homeless population has amplified, a solution has been to criminalize the homeless, which is
not the proper way. As it may seem like an effortless resolution, it causes an economic burden on the
criminal justice system caused by decreasing the chronic homeless population. However, to combat the
unintended criminalization of the mentally ill, many police departments have become involved in pre-arrest
diversion programs to provide the appropriate treatment for the mentally ill.
When one, with a mental illness is homeless, does get arrested, he/she most likely doesn’t have a
support system, the money to pay court costs and fees, or have reliable transportation to and from
appointments. It becomes a cycle, in which it is difficult to escape. In order to provide the proper health to
the mentally ill, and in order to save time, resources, and lives, the police department forms partnerships with
multi-agency partnerships.
Today’s society has believed that homelessness is the police department’s issue. However,
homelessness affects the whole community. To address the criminal justice issues, partnerships and
collaborations with programs such as the Crisis Intervention Team and the National Alliance on Mental
Illness works with law enforcement and seeks to improve community responses towards the mentally ill. To
slowly decrease the homeless population, it’s important to work with one person at a time and to encourage
them into the treatment that is suitable.
Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Hipple, Natalie Kroovand. “Policing and Homelessness: Using Partnerships to Address a Cross System
Issue.” Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2017, pp. 14–28.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published on a database from credible and venerable
sources.
 Research Log #6 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: March 3, 2020

Name: Haley Grace Agbayani
Essential Question: How does homelessness affect society?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Homelessness is a public health problem as many of them have chronic and
physical health conditions, disorders, and simply has the inability to access proper
health care.
#2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public resources,
generating expenses and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.
#3: Homelessness divides the community as homeless individuals’ values are
degraded.

Point that this Source Proves: #2: Homelessness affects the economy due to high use of public
resources, generating expenses, and can potentially be a deterrent to incoming tourists.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

“Excitement injecting into the local economy,” Gonzales amplifies, “but Mike Testa with visit Sacramento
explains the same tourist visiting, are also noticing a growing crisis.”

Homelessness is affecting tourism: “My ballpark, educated estimate is somewhere between 7,500 and 10,000
people. A humanitarian problem, hurting tourism.”

“In fact, we did lose a very important corporate client over the homeless,” Broome explained.

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

The growing population of the homeless and those who’re financially struggling are impacting the
local economy. Some of the riders in Amgen noticed the growth in the homeless population and some
travelers began to believe Sacramento is not as safe as it used to be. Mike Testa said he received similar
feedback from prospective clients, who’re scouting for convention locations.
It's important to acknowledge that economic success must include caring for the homelessness. Cities
should bring forth ideas that could potentially solve homelessness using its resources. Not only could this
help boost tourism, it can help keep the community safe.
Homelessness is not also a growing crisis in Sacramento, it’s also growing in Oakland, Sacramento,
and Seattle. It is believed that those economies are letting its people down because they’re not doing much to
solve the problem. It’s important to properly manage the community to be safe for those living in it.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

KCRA News Team. “State’s Homeless Crisis Impacting Sacramento Economy.” KCRA News, Commentary
by Vicki Gonzales, May 2019.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published on a news website with trustworthy and
credible news and information.