Supply Versus Demand in the Cherokee County Homelessness Needs Assessment
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Intro: Cherokee County is a growing, rural area in the northern part of Georgia. When we think of areas with homelessness problems, we usually turn towards large metropolitan areas such as Atlanta. But to combat homelessness overall, we need to take a look at rural regions as well. Research Context/background: A needs assessment was conducted in Cherokee County related to homelessness and housing insecurity. Research question/purpose: The purpose of conducting this assessment is determine whether Cherokee County’s homelessness resources need upgrading, and to provide recommendations to do so. Method: In order to assess how effective the current homeless service infrastructure is, data were collected via online surveys given to 28 service-side stakeholders in Cherokee County. The participants responded to the question, “How fully is the existing service system able to meet the current level of demand for the following services?” These services included emergency shelter, employment opportunities, the need to send clients to other counties for services, and more.Results/conclusions: With regards to mortgage/rent assistance, twenty-six of providers out of twenty-eight reported that demand greatly exceeded supply. When asked about supportive housing, twenty-five out of twenty-eight participants agreed that the demand was much greater than the supply. The same pattern was observed with regards to supportive housing, mental health resources, utility assistance, and transportation assistance. We can draw the conclusion that the homeless service infrastructure is currently overwhelmed by the level of demand in Cherokee County. To address the needs of the housing insecure and homeless population in the county, additional resources and infrastructure are required.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Health Promotion and Physical Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Matthew Lyons
Additional Faculty
Paul Vaughn, Information Technologies
Supply Versus Demand in the Cherokee County Homelessness Needs Assessment
Intro: Cherokee County is a growing, rural area in the northern part of Georgia. When we think of areas with homelessness problems, we usually turn towards large metropolitan areas such as Atlanta. But to combat homelessness overall, we need to take a look at rural regions as well. Research Context/background: A needs assessment was conducted in Cherokee County related to homelessness and housing insecurity. Research question/purpose: The purpose of conducting this assessment is determine whether Cherokee County’s homelessness resources need upgrading, and to provide recommendations to do so. Method: In order to assess how effective the current homeless service infrastructure is, data were collected via online surveys given to 28 service-side stakeholders in Cherokee County. The participants responded to the question, “How fully is the existing service system able to meet the current level of demand for the following services?” These services included emergency shelter, employment opportunities, the need to send clients to other counties for services, and more.Results/conclusions: With regards to mortgage/rent assistance, twenty-six of providers out of twenty-eight reported that demand greatly exceeded supply. When asked about supportive housing, twenty-five out of twenty-eight participants agreed that the demand was much greater than the supply. The same pattern was observed with regards to supportive housing, mental health resources, utility assistance, and transportation assistance. We can draw the conclusion that the homeless service infrastructure is currently overwhelmed by the level of demand in Cherokee County. To address the needs of the housing insecure and homeless population in the county, additional resources and infrastructure are required.