A hand grabbing a paper formed as a home with the sun as background, image of episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk radio about the unhoused, unsheltered and underserved with Marybeth Shinn & Rusty Smith

Redefining Home for the Unhoused, Unsheltered, and Underserved

Original Air Date Wednesday, January 12, 2022 

What do you think about when you pass a homeless encampment or homeless shelter? Do you assume most of the people living there have substance abuse or mental health issues? It is a common myth. The truth is the age at which people are most likely to find themselves in a homeless shelter in the US is in infancy.

To shine a light on important initiatives and programs currently available to reduce homelessness in the US and how we all can make a positive impact, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two educators about solutions proven to work to alleviate homelessness.

Coauthor of In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It, Marybeth Shinn dispels common myths about homelessness and the underserved, and shares how we all can be part of the solution for the unhoused and underserved.

Associate Director of Rural Studio at Auburn University, Rusty Smith, describes how reducing homelessness strengthens communities, especially in persistently impoverished communities and the innovative approaches of Rural Studio and Front Porch Initiative.

Tune in:

Meet Our Guests:

Marybeth Shinn, Ph.D., is a Cornelius Vanderbilt professor at Vanderbilt University. She co-led the Family Options Study of different approaches to ending family homelessness, evaluated the initial study of the Pathways Housing First experiment, and developed a model used by New York City to target its homelessness prevention services. Book: In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It

Marybeth Shinn, Ph.D., is a Cornelius Vanderbilt professor at Vanderbilt University. She co-led the Family Options Study of different approaches to ending family homelessness, evaluated the initial study of the Pathways Housing First experiment, and developed a model used by New York City to target its homelessness prevention services.

Book: In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It

Marybeth Shinn — Unhoused, Unsheltered and Underserved:

  • The history of homelessness in the United States and why people become homeless. {2:24}
  • The factors that keep us from ending homelessness and the resources that help alleviate or relieve homelessness. {5:21}
  • The Housing Choice Voucher Program is the main way housing for poor people is subsidized in the US but has extensive wait times. {8:42}
  • In her book, In the Midst of Plenty, Marybeth offers tangible solutions to ending homelessness. {11:52}
  • Common myths about homelessness in the US. {13:30}
  • Marybeth shares a real-life example of a formerly homeless family who benefited from a housing voucher. {16:27}
  • Lobbying politicians is a key factor to obtain the resources to eliminate homelessness. {19:24}
  • If you want to be part of the solution, these providers are focused on getting people back into housing. {24:32}
Marybeth Shinn, Ph.D., is a Cornelius Vanderbilt professor at Vanderbilt University. She co-led the Family Options Study of different approaches to ending family homelessness, evaluated the initial study of the Pathways Housing First experiment, and developed a model used by New York City to target its homelessness prevention services. Book: In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It

Rusty Smith is the Associate Director of Rural Studio, Auburn University’s internationally recognized design-build program located in West Alabama. Smith spearheads the Front Porch Initiative, managing a multi-faceted effort to mitigate the rural housing crisis through both affordable, quality home construction and national coalition-building for home procurement.

Rusty Smith — Redefining Home:

  • Rusty shares details about Auburn University’s Rural Studio program and the three premises of the program. {27:16}
  • The challenges of adequately housing and decently feeding our communities. {32:30}
  • The Front Porch Initiative aims to share designs, products, and learnings with other housing providers outside of Alabama. {33:51}
  • Statistics of the persistently impoverished areas in the US. {39:30}
  • Defining affordability, calculating the extraordinary hidden cost of inaction, and the four fundamental challenges for homeowners in impoverished areas. {42:04}
  • Measuring the impact and success of the Rural Studio program and the Front Porch Initiative. {48:28}

Follow Rusty Smith:

Shareables:

“The Housing Choice Voucher Program is the main way we are subsidizing housing for poor people.” — Marybeth Shinn on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “The age at which you are most likely to find yourself in a homeless shelter in the US is in infancy.” — Marybeth Shinn on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “The Rural Studio is like a study abroad program except the students don't go overseas.” @RuralStudio on @HHTalkRadio   Share on X “Persistently impoverished areas in the US are all rural and historic landscapes of extraction.” @RuralStudio on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

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