Western Kentucky University
Assessing the Small Town Approach to Homelessness
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Jay Gabbard
Abstract
Currently, Bowling Green sits as the state’s fourth largest city in Kentucky, although the local Chamber of Commerce hopes to soon surpass the state’s current third largest city in the next few years. Just as the city grows, however, so does its homeless population. Unfortunately, the services to meet the needs of this population in Bowling Green have not grown. Today, the emerging city and its surrounding Barren River Area, located in south central Kentucky, relies heavily on a few services, such as the 54 beds of the local Salvation Army to serve this growing population of over 55,000. Through researching the municipal response to homelessness in Bowling Green and in nine other similar south eastern cities, I have evaluated the efficiency of Bowling Green homeless services and consequently propose program ideas that will improve Bowling Green homeless services in the future. Ten small cities, including two from Kentucky, were evaluated according to existing data of a city’s homeless demographics and social service options. During this presentation, I will be discussing the implications of the research and assess the conclusion of the value of Bowling Green’s homeless services.
Assessing the Small Town Approach to Homelessness
Currently, Bowling Green sits as the state’s fourth largest city in Kentucky, although the local Chamber of Commerce hopes to soon surpass the state’s current third largest city in the next few years. Just as the city grows, however, so does its homeless population. Unfortunately, the services to meet the needs of this population in Bowling Green have not grown. Today, the emerging city and its surrounding Barren River Area, located in south central Kentucky, relies heavily on a few services, such as the 54 beds of the local Salvation Army to serve this growing population of over 55,000. Through researching the municipal response to homelessness in Bowling Green and in nine other similar south eastern cities, I have evaluated the efficiency of Bowling Green homeless services and consequently propose program ideas that will improve Bowling Green homeless services in the future. Ten small cities, including two from Kentucky, were evaluated according to existing data of a city’s homeless demographics and social service options. During this presentation, I will be discussing the implications of the research and assess the conclusion of the value of Bowling Green’s homeless services.