Purpose

The purpose of this proposal is to identify that there is a homelessness issue in the Chattanooga
region and to request approval to conduct further research for ending this problem.
Summary
Homelessness is a multi-faceted issue in the Chattanooga community, as well as across America.
Millions of people across the nation, including families, veterans, and children, are affected
every day and struggle to get by without lifes basic necessities. In Chattanooga, there are only a
few well-established organizations set up to help alleviate the homelessness problem.
Unfortunately, these organizations are very limited in the resources they can provide. The local
government in Chattanooga has one current structure put in place to serve our homeless
individuals. This structure does not have the immediacy that the community needs and takes an
extensive amount of time to be implemented.
I have researched and developed a couple possible strategies in order to determine the best
approaches to deal with the homeless problem. A few notions that need to be considered for the
purpose of this proposal are determining the Chattanooga homeless populations willingness to
accept aid, assessing current local funding for this issue, and recognizing similar cities methods
to productively combat these circumstances.
I propose to analyze effective methods achieved by cities of similar size, economy, and
demographics. In order to execute this project, I plan on conducting various types of research
such as meta-analysis and qualitative examination. I estimate that the analysis and the
presentation of a report, based on this research, would be managed over the course of 3 months
at the cost of approximately $3,000-4,000.

I plan to begin conducting research right away if this proposal is approved, and I will submit an
official strategic report by 3 months end. I will include specifics about my progress and any
significant factors that may inhibit this research; as well as instruction on how to continue with
selected resolutions.
Introduction
Walking down the busy streets in the Chattanooga area, an individual is faced with an often
ignored problem: homelessness. It doesn't take much searching to discover that this is a critical
issue in Chattanooga. According to a local study by the Chattanooga Regional Homeless
Coalition, over 4,000 individuals experience homelessness each year, with about one quarter of
those being children. Almost 700 chronically homeless people sleep on the ground every night
braving the elements and wondering when their next meal will be.
There are several organizations in Chattanooga that help to reduce the homeless problem by
providing short-term housing and meals. Unfortunately, they don't get the funding they need
because they completely rely on external donations from churches, non-profits, etc. Currently,
Chattanoogas local government lends minimal funding for this issue, even though they have the
capabilities and resources to make a much more significant impact. The Chattanooga region does
not offer a lot of access to self-improvement programs or mental health facilities.
Figuring out the causes of this problem is the first step to figuring out possible solutions in the
community. This research can help the citizens of Chattanooga live more efficient lives, while
also giving these affected individuals the proper shelter, food and water they need to survive.
There are currently two proven solutions that other similar cities to Chattanooga have adopted.
These are strategic plans for helping homeless people immediately and in the long-term. The first

proposal is to provide "housing first" or permanent housing opportunities, which involves

moving these afflicted individuals into long-term housing and supplying them with needed
resources and support services to help them overcome their obstacles. Another proposed
suggestion includes advancing direct access to miscellaneous services and support.
I have created a four-point plan to aid in the guidance of my proposed research and prevent any
sort of deviation. The components of this plan consists of these tasks:

Determine homeless populations initial willingness to accept external aid.

Determine what other cities across the nation are doing to effectively improve their

homeless populations living conditions.

Determine how other communities comparable to Chattanooga are providing adequate

access of resources, services, and support.

Determine ways to reduce and prevent homelessness in the community in the first place.

These homeless people with financial problems or social disabilities are abandoned by society,
but its our duty to help them back onto their two feet. Overall, this resolution would positively
impact the community and all of its residents, and make Chattanooga truly "the best town ever".
Review of Literature
Clapham, David. Pathways Approaches to Homelessness Research. Community & Applied
Social Psychology. Homelessness: Integrating International Perspectives, vol. 13, no. 2,
pp. 119127.
This is a special issue of a published social psychology journal centered specifically on
homelessness. Clapham was a professor at the London School of Economics that taught
social policy and planning. His particular interest in expanding affordable housing and
outreach services are what set him apart from the rest.

He created a new method of research through adopting a pathways approach

framework, which focuses not only on the structural forces but also the individual action
elements behind homelessness research. He claims that we have been researching how to
find solutions the wrong way, or at least not as effective as we could be. Clapham aims to
analyze the interaction between the different factors that the nature of homelessness is
composed of. This article may be crucial in taking the next steps to solving homelessness
for the long-term.
Paulsen, Monte. "Seven Solutions to Homelessness" The Tyee. The Tyee, 8 Jan. 2007. Web.
This Canadian newspaper article addresses the true costs of homelessness and some
affordable solutions to improve conditions. In the province of British Columbia, citizens
pay around $40,000 a year in taxes per one homeless individual. This money spent on
emergency social services and resource facilities would decrease by more than half if
only these homeless individuals had a roof over their heads and a bed to sleep in.
Some of the ideas presented in this articles include trade fairs, vocational job
training, increase welfare rates, and implementing more mental health and recovery
clinics. Overall, this article shows that it is cheaper to help find homes for the homeless
rather than simply paying for their survival out on the streets. Paulsen proves that this
social problem is best to be addressed rather than letting the issue persist.
Turner, Alina, and Jaime Rogers. THE FIRST CITY TO END HOMELESSNESS: A CASE
STUDY OF MEDICINE HATS APPROACH TO SYSTEM PLANNING IN A
HOUSING FIRST CONTEXT. High-Level Governance Challenges and Opportunities,
pp. 497516.

This case study examines the city of Medicine Hat, which is Canadas first city to end
homelessness. Rogers and Turner dive into the strategic plans and significant efforts that
led to this resolution. Medicine Hats homeless population is somewhat similar to
Chattanoogas, because they were experiencing approximately 2,000 individuals without
housing accommodations. The province of Alberta ended up investing $83 million dollars
in an effort to provide housing first, with $3 million of that designated to Medicine Hat.
The citys systematic approach included assessment of funding allocations, monitoring of
results and service quality, information management and performance measurement.
This scholarly article was written by two Canadian professionals in the social
work field. Jaime Rogers is the Manager of the Homeless and Housing Development
Department with the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society; while Alina Turner is a
member of the Alberta Interagency Council on Homelessness and was the Vice President
of Strategy at the Calgary Homeless Foundation.
Proposed Program
Research will be conducted through various methods including: field-work, meta-analysis of
similar cities, case studies, surveys and interviews. I believe the most efficient approach would
be to allow participatory involvement from the homeless population and allow input from the
local government.
In the projected time-allotted research, certain steps will be taken to accomplish our goals. First,
a plan will have to be constructed to determine the best procedure and to organize/prioritize what
type of research will be conducted on specific days. Second, online research will have to be
analyzed to compare comparable cities to Chattanooga and we will have to find a recent census

focused on the homeless population in the area. Third, and longest step, I plan to actively seek
out homeless individuals, employees of charitable organizations, and local government
authorities to record surveys, interviews, etc. Lastly, I will analyze all data collected and provide
a recommendation on how to continue further with the initial implementation of a solution.
Personnel
Professional UTC student with nearly daily cooperation with Chattanooga homeless population.
6+ years experience with interacting with homeless individuals through volunteering with
charitable organizations. 1+ years working for local law firms, and networking with local
government through the Young Professionals of Chattanooga organization. Efficient research and
analytical skills, and also comfortable working in diverse environments independently.
Budget and Schedule
I estimate that this research will take place over a period of three months. I propose the remote
researching of a recent Chattanooga census, similar cities solutions, cities contribution of
current funding and/or services and support, determining ways to prevent initial homelessness
will take approximately one month. Immediately following, I estimate about a month and a half
of local field-work because it would be the majority of the research. Lastly, I predict that
analyzing the data and presenting a recommendation will take, at the most, two weeks.
As for the budget portion, I expect a healthy budget of $4,000 maximum. For my personal salary,
I will be working on this research 30 hours a week for 12 weeks at the rate of $8.50 an hour,
which totals $3,060. Gas will be approximately $30 a week for a period of 12 weeks, which is
equivalent to $360. Printing is another aspect of the budget which will cost about $200. This

leaves an additional $380 for miscellaneous items, such as office supplies, tools/equipment,
camera film, recorders, etc.