Introduction
For several decades, the United States has been experiencing an increase in the number of homeless people across the country. Although the phenomenon is a global problem, it is more common in the U.S. compared to other first-world countries such as the U.K. and France (Ortiz-Ospina & Roser, 2017). According to Ortiz-Ospina and Roser (2017), the total number of people who were rendered homeless in 2016 alone is 170.19 per 100,000 population. Although homelessness impacts all the populations in the country, black Americans are highly affected compared to other races (Hanratty, 2017). Additionally, single-parent families can be adversely impacted by homelessness, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Statement of the Problem
New York City is one of the cities across the United States that attracts many people from different places. This is because of its strategic location and the number of job opportunities available. According to Pierce and Selee (2017), many people migrate to New York yearly. Additionally, the population of Queens constitutes 27% of New York City’s total population (Maru et al., 2020). Moreover, a study conducted by Pierce and Selee (2017) indicated that the majority of the homeless people in New York are Black Americans.
Although homelessness affects everybody negatively, single-parent families are even more adversely impacted compared to other groups of people. Additionally, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the government to take drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus (Culhane et al., 2020). As a result, every person across the country was forced to stay at home when the total lockdown was imposed across the nation. This action, however, affected the single-parent families that were homeless (Culhane et al., 2020). Therefore, the study will seek to investigate the effects of homelessness on single-parent families in a black community in Queens, New York, during the pandemic between March 2020 and May 2021.
Significance of the Problem
The problem has great significance to both the current and the future generations. First, the study will help in proposing mitigation measures that will help in curbing future pandemics. This will ensure that the welfare of the homeless single-parent families is well taken care of even in difficult moments. Second, the problem will act as a reference point for future studies, hence helping provide crucial information that can be used to make decisions.
Populations Served
Although the research will be conducted in a metropolitan area, the study is aimed at serving the black population of single-parent families in Queens, New York. Despite the Black people being the third populous group in the area after Whites and Asians, the majority of the single-parent families are from Black-Americans (Maru et al., 2020). As a result, it is crucial to solve the menace to raise the welfare of the Blacks.
Proposed Solution
There are mainly three proposed solutions to the issue of homelessness on single-parent families in a black community in Queens, New York. The first solution is the provision of physical and emotional awareness to the families affected. This program is usually conducted by The National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH., n.d.). It focuses on enlightening the homeless parents and children regarding good nutrition and dealing with stress. The sessions are usually engaging and entertaining to conduct. However, it never raises the standards of the homeless since it is only based on health education. Nevertheless, the service is crucial since it provides a long-term solution by reducing malnutrition and stress-related disorders.
The second solution is the provision of the clinical services program. Homeless families always experience psychological trauma that can have a long-term effect on their lives. As a result, it is essential to devise a recovery plan to ensure that the victims are reinstated back to society. The amenities given include counseling, family activity, and animal-assisted therapy. Currently, the benefits are provided by the Children’s Clinical Services Program in the region, but it should be expanded to incorporate adults as well.
The third solution should be offering playing and social places for the destitute. The play-stations will help in the development of children from impoverished backgrounds. Moreover, experienced personnel and volunteers will guide the kids towards achieving their personal dreams. Additionally, social places can improve the mental state of adults when they mingle freely with others.
Research Questions
- What are the effects of homelessness on single-parent families of the black community in Queens, New York, during the pandemic between the year March 2020 and May 2021?
- What are the mechanisms used to minimize the impact of homelessness on single-parent families of the black community in Queens, New York?
Methodology
Conceptual Framework
The effects of homelessness on single-parent families are adverse and they range from health to social adversities, as can be seen in Figure 1. It exposes the families to the COVID-19 virus; thus, it can cause death. Additionally, children from such families experience malnutrition and become vulnerable to crimes. Moreover, the families become impoverished as they become unable to afford the basic commodities.
Method
The study will employ the use of qualitative methods to determine the effects of homelessness on single-parent families. In order to understand the problem, it is essential to obtain firsthand information from the victims. However, this is only possible if there is physical interaction with the affected individuals. Therefore, the qualitative method will enable interaction with the respondents through interviews, observation, and focus groups.
Design
The research design will mainly be a descriptive literature review based on the nature of the research. A literature analysis will be performed from the relevant existing studies. Additionally, the design will help in understanding the same issue from different countries facing a similar challenge. Therefore, the descriptive design will be performed through interaction with the victims and relevant stakeholders.
Rationale
People were required to stay at home during the pandemic when the lockdown was imposed across the nation. However, the homeless were forced to remain in the streets, and single parents were the most affected. Therefore, as the country continues to experience normalcy when all the activities begin to resume, it is vital to understand how homelessness affected the single-parent families from the black community in Queens, New York.
Planning Strategy
Ethical Considerations and Concerns
The consent of all the respondents will be obtained first before involving them in the study. Only those who are freely willing to participate in the research will be engaged. Additionally, personal information will be excluded from the data to maintain the privacy of the correspondents. Moreover, permission will be required from the local authorities, and they will be notified of the intended research activity. All information obtained from the relevant organizations will follow the correct procedure to avoid any conflicts.
Management Plan
Proposed Timeline
Feasibility
The research is possible because there are numerous Black, homeless, single-parent families in Queens, New York. As a result, identification of the sample population will be easy. Additionally, there are a number of both government and non-governmental institutions that work with the victims; hence the institutions will be willing to provide the required information. Also, the research will be conducted only in Queens area, a small region that can easily be covered.
Anticipated Challenges
- Uncooperative respondents – Some resourceful respondents can be unwilling to be incorporated into the study.
- Bureaucratic authorities – Authorities such as organizations dealing with the homeless people in Queens, New York, can have lengthy bureaucratic procedures that can hinder the process of obtaining useful information.
- Dishonest respondents – although some can be willing to be involved in the study, they can be deceitful with their answers.
- Inadequate resources – the research requires numerous resources owing to the vast area it will cover; hence, the limited available resources can be insufficient.
References
Culhane, D., Treglia, D., Steif, K., Kuhn, R., & Byrne, T. (2020). Estimated emergency and observational/quarantine capacity for the U.S. homeless population related to COVID-19 exposure by county; projected hospitalizations, intensive care units, and mortality. eScholarship.
Hanratty, M. (2017). Do local economic conditions affect homelessness? Impact of area housing market factors, unemployment, and poverty on community homeless rates. Housing Policy Debate, 27(4), 640-655.
Maru, S., Patil, U., Carroll-Bennett, R., Baum, A., Bohn-Hemmerdinger, T., Ditchik, A., Scanlon, M.L., Krishnan, P., Bogaert, K., Woodbury, C., Maru, D., Noble, L., Wasserman, R., Brown, B., Vreeman, R., & Masci, J. (2020). Universal screening for sars-cov-2 infection among pregnant women at Elmhurst hospital center, Queens, New York. PLoS One, 15(12), e0238409.
National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH). (n.d.). American Institutes for Research.
Ortiz-Ospina, E., & Roser, M. (2017). Homelessness. Our World in Data. Web.
Pierce, S., & Selee, A. (2017). Immigration under Trump: A review of policy shifts in the year since the election. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute, 1-15.