The RCC ballroom was packed with workers, advocates and volunteers from area nonprofits, educators and experts, all involved in addressing the issue of homelessness. They were on hand for BSU’s annual Spring Forum on Homelessness, which this year focused on urban populations near and far, and the challenges and opportunities presented in these settings.
Keynote speaker Robert Clifford, economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said that homelessness was on the rise in New England, driven disproportionately by family homelessness. His address, “Can Subsidized Housing Help Address Homelessness in New England,” looked at the impact of low-income tax credits and subsidized housing on homeless populations.
After presenting the results of several studies, Mr. Clifford said, “Yes, there appears to be an impact from subsidized housing, and in New England it appears to be very large.”
Other portions of the daylong event focused on how the numbers of homeless individuals are tabulated across North America, as well as policy updates, and potential ideas and solutions.
That afternoon panel, titled “Strategies to End Chronic and Family Homelessness,” looked at socio-economic initiatives, issues relating to indigenous and aboriginal populations, and issues affecting immigrants.
President Frederick W. Clark Jr. delivered welcoming remarks at the event. Joining him was Canadian Consul General to New England David Allward; his presence highlighted the fact that this year’s forum also featured a north-of-the-border perspective. Dr. Michele Wakin, associate professor of sociology, and director of BSU's Center for Urban Poverty, emceed the event.
Brandon Reynolds, ’13, triage-outreach worker at Father Bill’s Mainspring House in Brockton, used to attend the annual homelessness forums as a student. This time, he was attending as a practitioner. The event fills a variety of needs, he said.
“It puts into perspective all the work we do, and lets you know that what you’re doing fits into the national scope of things,” he said. “You see how people across the country in different cities, like Bridgewater, are working in their own region.”
On the job, Mr. Reynolds sees the impacts of homelessness, and likewise the possibilities provided by effective solutions. “I see people who go to the hospital two or three times a day,” he said. “But once they get into housing they feel much less of a need to go into the hospital, because it’s a warm, safe and secure place.”
The spring forum, most importantly, gives he and his colleagues a place to “collaborate and learn from each other,” he said.
The event was sponsored by the Center for Urban Poverty and BSU's Canadian Studies Program. (Story and photo by John Winters, University News & Media)
