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Doesn’t want to work. Lazy. That is often the stereotype of the homeless population popularized on TV and movies, and that is the image some students at Milligan College had before they delved deeper into a research project that ultimately changed how they saw this misrepresented population in Northeast Tennessee.
The group—juniors Logan Foshie, from Whitesburg, Tennessee; Brandon Banks, from Greeneville, Tennessee; Jacob McGlamery, from Mountain City, Tennessee; and senior Shayla Wood, from Kissimmee, Florida—helped to complete a wide-ranging count of the homeless population that included the counties of Northeast Tennessee: Hawkins, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi, Carter, Sullivan, and Washington.
Working with the HUD-funded Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness (ARCH) during the point-in-time count for the last 10 days of January, Milligan’s group took charge of counting Carter County.
They scouted locations of homeless sites, handed out surveys to individuals who might be homeless, and input the collected information into a computer program. Combining the time spent collecting data in the field and subsequently entering data for over 500 surveys, the group logged well over 100 hours for the project.
The numbers they found are staggering. In Washington County alone there are nearly 300 homeless individuals. In Northeast Tennessee, there are 115 homeless under the age of 18, 42 in the young adult demographic (18-24), and 455 over 24 years of age.
What surprised several in the group, however, was how many homeless were veterans—25% in Washington County. Of that group, 23% were considered chronically homeless.The total number of homeless individuals for those counties in Northeast Tennessee, between the households with children and households without children, ARCH reported 577 to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
McGlamery presented their research in April at Milligan’s annual research symposium, RISE Above, a showcase of mentored research directed by Dr. Joy Drinnon, professor of psychology. Currently serving as chair of ARCH, Drinnon was in a unique position to help guide the students on this project.
“The results from the count are extremely valuable because it determines how HUD ranks our region in terms of financial need,” said Drinnon. “If we have more homeless individuals than we have beds, we qualify for more federal aid. The count also provides information to the cities and service providers.”
According to Drinnon, the technical definition of homelessness is someone who is living in an emergency shelter or place that is not meant for human habitation. But after pouring over mounds of data, the group quickly learned that homelessness takes a different form in rural areas like Northeast Tennessee—often far different than urban areas—and that the point-in-time survey didn’t count everyone, such as someone living on a couch, for instance.
“It was surprising how many people are not technically homeless but are in that lower income, overcrowded situation,” said Wood. “A lot of people focus solely on the homeless and just take for granted the fact that so many people who are not technically homeless actually need the same kind of help.”
“In this area, people often take care of their own, and that’s what can create the issue of overcrowding,” added Wood. McGlamery agreed that the numbers don’t tell the whole story. “I think they’re kind of misleading,” said McGlamery. “People can be in really bad situations and not technically be homeless. It’s very unlikely we counted everyone. I never realized how big the issue really was.”
While it’s easy to get discouraged in the face of such disheartening and overwhelming data, the students came out on the other side with a firmer grasp on the problem of homelessness.
“I think there’s definitely an issue in thinking that homelessness looks the same everywhere—because it doesn’t,” said Wood. The students also are able see beyond stereotypes and form ideas about what change needs to take place.
“These people aren’t individuals who want to be homeless,” said Foshie.
“They’re not unintelligent. There’s just a need for opportunity. They don’t want a hand out. They want a hand up,” he added.
Beyond the new research and presentation skills, empathy for those in need may be the greatest asset the students will take away from this project—one of the core values of Milligan’s mission to develop servant leaders.
“When you see someone sitting on the side of the road, you don’t know the situations that they’re facing,” said Banks. “Overall, this project made me more appreciative as a person.”