HRAC EPC Proposal and MOU

We will expand current efforts by examining how, where, and whether they should be scaled up, how they change public perceptions about who is experiencing homelessness, and how associa

Proposal for the Creation, Elimination,

or Alteration of Academic Units (Centers and Institutes)

Identify the type of center/institute the proposed unit will operate as (see accompanying

approval process flow chart and description for each):

● Research/Membership Center/Institute

● Instructional Units (Center/Institute/Program/Department/School/College)

● General Support or Public Service Center/Institute

● Instructional Units (Center/Institute/Program/Department/School/College)

● General Support or Public Service Center/Institute

Name: ​​Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative ​The concept for this Center was

generated by a faculty-driven process in response to President Shoreshi’s call for

proposals during AY18-19 for Centers of Excellence at PSU The focus and goals of the Center were developed by faculty from across the University that are devoted to

conducting research on homelessness to provide much needed evidence-based practices

to help solve this complex and multidimensional issue The Center proposal was

reviewed and scored by a committee with representatives from each College and by outside experts in the field The final decision to support the Center financially was made

by President Shoreshi

The Center will focus on homelessness, a national and local crisis with significant

negative impacts on individuals and families experiencing homelessness, as well as on the communities in which they live According to the most recent national point-in-time (PIT) estimate, there are an estimated 553,742 people in the United States experiencing homelessness on any given night (​Henry, Watt, Rosenthal & Azim​) This issue is

particularly salient in Portland, as it is in many West Coast cities, as rising costs of living

and reduced state and federal funding for housing and health services create a uniquely complex homelessness crisis (Beitsch, 2015) The 2017 PIT count for Multnomah

County, Oregon estimates that 4,177 individuals experience homelessness on a single night, with an additional 9,522 people living in “doubled-up” situations (Krishnan & Elliott, 2017) Long-standing effects of bias in educational, housing, and criminal justice systems amplify those impacts for communities of color and other marginalized groups For example, while African Americans comprise 13% of the total U.S population, they represent upwards of 40% of persons who experience homelessness (Jones, 2016) While nearly everyone can agree that “homelessness” is a problem to solve, there are diverse definitions of the term (and vastly different counts of “the homeless”), divergent ideas about the best “solution,” and multiple hidden attitudes that affect all of these

Solving homelessness presents unique societal, political, and social challenges ​The short-term challenge the Center will focus on is to understand and address conflicting ideas about homelessness that result in inaction The Center will address this by:

conducting high-quality research, translating evidence-based science, and partnering with local advocates, service providers, business owners, and other stakeholders.​ The long-term challenge is to promote action on successful interventions to end homelessness Doing so demands a deep understanding of structurally complex systems of belief,

culture, and policy that have given rise to a local and national homelessness crisis,

exacerbated by an impasse over what course of action will solve the “homelessness problem.” ​Addressing the complex mosaic of causes of homelessness requires research to understand which policies, programs, and projects will be both effective and feasible at different scales of intervention

PSU faculty, staff, and students across our campus already conduct research and other scholarly activities, teach about, volunteer, and provide consulting that addresses

homelessness This Center would unite these efforts in an interdisciplinary framework, building on existing projects and giving rise to new activities As a public, urban-serving university operating in a resource-poor educational environment, PSU is uniquely

positioned to show other universities how to research this humanitarian crisis in their own communities, and to help their local government jurisdictions address the interdependent issues that create and perpetuate homelessness

● Build a research center driven by community voice and community-based research where faculty, students, and staff collaborate to conduct relevant and meaningful

interdisciplinary scholarly activities in partnership with the broader community

(Strategic Plan Goals (SPG): 1, 2, 3, & 4)

● Create a dynamic and powerful model for context-specific research to advance practice and policy and impact innovation in other communities locally and nationally

● Examine and provide actionable suggestions for mitigating the effects of structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism and bias in creating and perpetuating

interested in finding solutions to homelessness

In the long term, the Center will identify innovative ways for communities to prevent and resolve homelessness through structural and institutional changes and individual

interventions Because racism continues to shape policy making and program

implementation, we must start with an understanding of the role of racism in perpetuating disparities and inequities in policy and social service provision Our goals and objectives will be refined through ongoing engagement with our stakeholders, and with a focus on securing lasting financial stability for the Center

1) ​Reducing Homelessness at PSU​ Research conducted at Temple University suggests

that 10- 14% of college students are currently experiencing homelessness, have

experienced, or are on the cusp of experiencing homelessness ​We will work

collaboratively with other Portland metropolitan area and Oregon anchor institutions to conduct research on homelessness in our PSU student body, and how our own programs and policies that affect student homelessness​ Our work will culminate in a strategic plan

for supporting PSU students, staff, and other vulnerable community members

experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity

2) Changing Narratives, Creating Action ​While people agree that homelessness is one of the most pressing issues in our country, people do not agree on its causes or possible solutions Some who are not experiencing homelessness hold negative stereotypes about those who are, while others are unsure of what they can do to help (Belcher & DeForge, 2012) ​Through discourse analysis and close reading, we aim to understand how multiple

groups, including those who are directly or indirectly in positions to help end

homelessness, think and talk about homelessness.​ Targeting places of opportunity for changing hearts and minds identified by our research, we plan to create a public

education campaign in consultation with people experiencing homelessness to reframe how other community members think about and act to end homelessness

3) Innovative Approaches to Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness ​From building temporary villages to creating hygiene centers, Portland faculty are already leading the way on thinking about how to support people who are currently experiencing homelessness ​We will expand current efforts by examining how, where, and whether they

should be scaled up, how they change public perceptions about who is experiencing homelessness, and how associated changes in attitudes influence public support for activities addressing homelessness ​Center-affiliated pioneering participatory design initiatives will provide new visions for alternative shelter models and expanding work on hygiene centers Work will build on city, state, and nonprofit partnerships, as well as on interdisciplinary research and analysis of efforts like those that resulted in Kenton

Women's Village and Clackamas Veterans Village (Harbarger, 2017) Integral to our work will be public exhibits and other interventions that promote local and national dialogue about issues around homelessness These will utilize rigorous design work and highlight university research, building on the work that was achieved with the Center for Public Interest Design’s (CPID) exhibits at City Hall, PNCA, Pickathon, and Portland Art Museum in 2016 and 2017 (Stein, 2017)

4) Housing as Healthcare ​Emerging evidence demonstrates that housing with supportive services not only provides better care but also has cost-savings potential in reductions to emergency room visits and other high-cost health services (Wright, Vartanian, Li, Royal,

& Matson, 2016).​ In collaboration with partners at the OHSU-PSU School of Public

Health and Providence Center for Outcomes Research (CORE), we will document the health impacts of houselessness, as well as the associated health care and emergency service utilization costs.​ Specifically, we will examine a variety of physical and mental health outcomes (e.g., blood pressure, cortisol, t-cell responsiveness, nutritional status,

psychiatric symptom distress, and stage of mental health and/ or addictions recovery) and associated service costs (e.g., primary care visits, emergency room visits, psychiatric hospital admission, use of emergency services) and compare these for individuals

experiencing homelessness, individuals who are newly housed, and individuals who are stably housed This research will allow us to better understand “costs” of homelessness for persons experiencing it and for their communities This work will also contribute to our understanding of homelessness as a risk factor for diminished mental and physical health (e.g., Castellow, Kloos, & Townley, 2015), and the role of housing as a catalyst for improvements in health, well-being, and community integration (Mcnaughton, Townley, Nelson et al., 2016; Padgett, 2007) Kaiser Permanente’s recent impact investing

commitment of up to $200 million in the Portland metropolitan area to address housing stability and homelessness reflects the significance and timeliness of this project

5) Policy and Program Evaluation ​Using the AHFE evaluation framework, and in

consultation with AHFE and other local jurisdictions, we will identify the most pressing evaluation issues Other jurisdictions around the country might need to understand

differences in the effectiveness of approaches to prevention and services in rural and urban areas In line with the ​Housing as Healthcare ​project described above, we would

also be interested in exploring the potential of using social impact bonds, based on the costs savings documented in the report, “A Study of Emergency Service Provider Costs for Chronically Homeless Persons in Washington County, Oregon (Stewart & Kessi, 2013), to fund housing and services for homelessness prevention For example, the ​AHFE

Evaluation Framework ​(Jarvis & Malsch, 2017) notes that understanding environmental factors, such as economic fluctuations and the housing market, is key to anticipating potential increases in need for homelessness prevention and homeless services ​Here, we

would study the role that state and local policy plays in the housing market, particularly around issues such as naturally-occurring affordable housing, evictions, and how to effectively estimate those people “doubled up” in unstable housing situations ​The

community needs studies of cost-effectiveness and alternative approaches to prevention and services to inform resource allocation Stakeholders have expressed an interest in understanding how the size and scope of homelessness might change over time as

shifting demographics, aging, and a changing housing and job market may contribute to the pipeline of people experiencing homelessness We propose to build and maintain an econometric model that predicts the impact of these factors

policies and programs to ending homelessness while supporting those who are

experiencing homelessness?; 3) Which aspects of our work is unique to Portland, and which apply to other West Coast cities and states?; and 4) How does structural racism factor into homelessness and to the ability of governments, social service providers, and individuals to end homelessness?

5) Indicate the expected percentage of time and resources that will be allocated to each

activity? Please include, if appropriate: courses to be offered, course development, research performed, community partnerships built, other (specify)

generating policies and position papers, and creating public education campaigns

Community relations (10% time, $150,000): ​Establishing and maintaining community partnerships (##% time, ##% resources)

Fundraising (10% time, $150,000)​: Building and maintaining donor and philanthropic relationships

6) Why is a change needed to achieve these outcomes and to host these activities?

a What other units are already undertaking similar activities? Meet with these

units and include documentation on the outcomes of these meetings

Center-affiliated faculty and staff have a wealth of training and expertise, including partnerships and research collaborations with key stakeholders in homeless service delivery and affordable housing development The Institute for Metropolitan Studies assessed PSU faculty capacity and interests as related to the AHFE evaluation

framework, and the Institute on Aging has assessed outcomes of affordable housing with

wrap-around health and social services Ongoing faculty research and applied projects also include: program evaluation by multiple faculty members; racial equity analysis of governance; design-build tiny home villages; point in time count 2017; Housing First evaluation; community based research with people who have experienced homelessness and the institutions working to support them; research examining public attitudes about homelessness and affordable housing; and research and service interventions with youth experiencing homelessness Dr Zapata works closely with the AHFE initiative,

conducting CBPR while participating on several of its committees These interests and skill sets align closely with our core goals and objectives while also providing

opportunities to respond to unanticipated events and questions that emerge in the course

of the Center’s work

ongoing work and issuing research calls with seed funding for new projects We will work with faculty to coordinate University Studies Capstone projects and other student work, including maintaining ongoing lists of courses and research opportunities

pertaining to Center activities Examples of current courses and student projects include exploring architecture’s ability to impact social change through the design of pods and villages for houseless community members in Portland (Ferry’s Architecture 299 and 480 courses); developing curricula and resources for teaching about homelessness (Thieman’s Social Studies Methods course); and examining the histories and service use patterns of adults engaged in homeless service programs at Central City Concern (Townley’s

Community Psychology Capstone)

We have been closely collaborating with existing Centers at PSU, including the Institute for Metropolitan Studies, the Center for Public Interest Design, and the Center for Real Estate We will continue these partnerships and also look forward to developing

partnerships with existing centers, such as the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, the Center of Urban Studies, Center for National Policy Census, Center for Public Service, and look forward to partnering with new centers

b Why is a separate or changed identity and/or structure key to success in

meeting the objectives and planned outcomes?

Portland is viewed as a leader on social issues Around the country people look to

Portland for examples on dealing with complex urban issues At PSU, the Center faculty offer expertise on: evaluating the effectiveness of services and housing solutions for specific populations; researching collaborative governance; evaluating the potential for eliminating duplication of effort in service delivery; and researching Housing First

models to improve local government fiscal health Faculty across PSU and OHSU are deeply involved in homelessness work as scholars, advocates, and educators PSU is known for its commitment to community-based research, a key and often missing

component of research about homelessness We will begin studying homelessness at our own doorstep while building on PSU’s tradition of applied and community based

research and linking research to community-based teaching People are looking for Portland to lead on this issue, and we have the capacity to do so

There are few U.S research centers that examine or addresses the multiple issues

connected to homelessness across service provision; local, state, and federal policy; lived experiences; community attitudes; and design solutions from a coordinated perspective USC recently launched a research institute on homelessness; however, that institute is situated in USC’s policy college, and focuses on policy UW has launched a series of projects through their urban studies center We see the USC and UW efforts as

complements to our own We would be distinct in being the only university-wide effort, but wish to build joint projects and comparative frameworks with our West Coast

partners USC and UW are large, well-resourced research institutions without urban service missions By demonstrating how to research homelessness as an extension of our urban service commitment, and in a more resource-constrained context, we will provide a relevant model for public institutions and governments

The causes of and solutions to homelessness are inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary No one discipline in isolation can solve this issue The Center will provide the needed

support to bring together the already active and interested faculty from PSU and OHSU

to catalyze their disparate efforts into a coherent set of activities Through coordination and the strategic synergy permitted by an interdisciplinary collaborative center, we envision building interdisciplinary work into existing projects and identifying new

opportunities for collaboration In just a few short meetings, we have identified several places to expand existing work and respond to new high-impact opportunities in the Portland Region

c How will these outcomes be measured and assessed? What benchmarks will

be used to determine the success of the unit?

The Center will track a variety of output and outcome measures to assess its success in addressing our major goals We anticipate that the proposed output and outcome

measures will be useful to a variety of stakeholder groups, including people experiencing homelessness and/ or housing insecurity in our community, local and national

researchers, national experts and advocates (e.g., National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, National Coalition for the Homeless, and other local stakeholders (e.g.,

policymakers, service and housing providers, business community, neighborhood

organizations, PSU students and staff) Representative measures include:

· Output Measures

o Number of a) scholarly publications; b) research, evaluation, and policy reports; c) media communications; and d) presentations at academic conferences, community meetings, trainings, and other forums

o Number of participants attending panels, meetings, and trainings hosted by the Center with corresponding evaluation feedback

o Number of students enrolled in Center-related courses or participating in

Center-directed research and projects

o Grant funding, donations, and other sources of revenue

· Outcome Measures

o Pre- and post-test surveys at trainings to assess changes in public attitudes about homelessness and individuals experiencing homelessness

o Tracking rates of individuals experiencing homelessness and utilization of

homelessness and prevention services in comparison with predicted rates

o Examining reductions in Medicaid claims and associated healthcare costs among individuals experiencing homelessness

o Examining relevant reductions in public safety costs

o Measuring changes in the availability, accessibility, and effectiveness of services and support for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity

o Longitudinal tracking of changes in public opinion and behavior (voting, donating, volunteering) following design-build interventions and communication campaigns

7) What is the proposed structure of the unit?

Basic Administrative Structure

The Center will be a University Research Center managed by the Office of Research & Graduate Studies University Centers exist as their own administrative units and thus the Center’s operations will be managed and administered by a Director and Associate

Director The center will share staff support provided by RGS with other University Research Centers The Center will also have an external advisory board

Final Center organizational structure and management will be determined through a collaborative strategic planning process during the first year of operations In year one, the Center will be led by the faculty and staff who worked on developing this proposal to identify the most effective, collaborative, and equitable manner to develop the Center

We expect to maintain an internal decision-making body that provides guidance and feedback for all Center activities Members of the leadership team are Marisa Zapata (Co-Interim Director), Greg Townley (Co-Interim Director), Maude Hines, Paula Carder, Sheila Martin, Lisa Hawash, Todd Ferry, and Jacen Greene During the first year,

members of the leadership will take ownership of specific administrative tasks such as chairing the director search, running the strategic planning process, coordinating research efforts, and hiring key staff Who will do what will depend on ability to buy out courses,

be released from current service obligations, and who is on leave Each research set of activities will have a faculty lead (Narrative - Hines; Homelessness at PSU - Townley; Housing as Healthcare - Townley; Innovative Approaches - Hawash & Ferry; Policy and Program Evaluation - Martin & Zapata)

There will be at least one external advisory board Because of our commitment to

trauma-informed community engagement and participatory processes, we want to engage our most vulnerable stakeholders to determine the best ways to include their expertise while developing structures to also bring in expertise from a wide range of epistemic communities

We envision advisory board members from the following types of stakeholder

communities based locally and nationally: 1) people with lived experience of

homelessness and housing insecurity, with a specific emphasis on recruiting from within those groups people from further marginalized identities (e.g., people of color, persons with mental illness); 2) policy makers (elected officials and staff); 4) service providers; 5) educational institutions such as K-12 schools; 6) business interests (i.e., real estate, workforce development, healthcare); and, 7) researchers at other universities and think tanks working on homelessness or issues related to Center activities (i.e., USC, Pathways

to Housing, Demos) The university-wide Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice

University includes a center advisory board model with multiple boards that advise on different sets of activities (two management-related committees and two advisory

boards)

Faculty Affiliation with the Center

There are currently 7 full-time faculty in the Center’s leadership core, and another 15 faculty members that have indicated interest in the Center Center leadership will develop

a process for faculty to apply for affiliation with the Canter during the first year of

activities Faculty FTE will be assigned to the unit, but every faculty member must have

an appointment in an academic department for the purposes of Promotion and Tenure evaluation This arrangement will ensure alignment of the Center’s activities with the academic units that support the work of the Center

The likely faculty composition of the Center will depend on securing funding from external courses, and by hiring decisions made in academic units who wish to participate

in Center activities Currently the core team includes 5 tenured faculty, 1 Associate Professor of Practice, 1 Senior Research Associate, and 1 staff member As external funding is secured the Center anticipates hiring research faculty in NTTF research faculty ranks, postdoctoral scholars positions, and other research support positions

Physical Location

The Center will have an administrative base of operations in the Market Center Building

in space provided by Research & Graduate Studies Faculty associated with the Center will maintain their normal faculty offices provided through their association with their academic unit

9 When would the unit be established or the change be enacted?

Center funding became available in Fall 2018, and we anticipate hiring staff and

beginning center operations in the late fall 2018 or early winter 2019 Center funding and operations have been outlines in a Memorandum of Understanding between the Center and RGS According to this MOU, the Center will be financially supported by RGS for 3 years with budget funding available through a no-cost extension for a maximum of 5 years The Center can continue to operate indefinitely if it achieves mechanisms for self-support of operations and RGS and the University community continue to support its mission and goals