Date of Conferral
9-10-2026
Date of Award
September 2026
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
William Forrester
Abstract
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is an island territory that is geographically isolated and has a fragile economy that has a limited capacity to address homelessness particularly when exacerbated by natural disasters. Existing literature demonstrated that major hurricanes can be associated with displacement, housing instability, and increased demand for emergency housing resources among socially vulnerable populations. However, limited longitudinal quantitative research has examined the impact of hurricanes on changes in homelessness trends in the USVI, representing a gap in territory-specific research. The purpose of this quantitative interrupted time series study was to examine homelessness trends associated with hurricanes Irma and Maria, specifically emergency shelter homelessness, transitional housing utilization, and unsheltered homelessness through the lens of the social vulnerability. Annual Point-in-Time Count data from 2010 through 2024 were analyzed using three interrupted time series regression models. Post hurricane changes in level and slope for all three homelessness categories were not statistically significant. The transitional housing and unsheltered homelessness models were statistically significant overall, whereas the hurricane intervention effects were not statistically significant. The findings provided territory-specific evidence that may inform future hurricane preparedness, homelessness planning, and research in the USVI resulting in potential positive social change.
Recommended Citation
Hart, Clinton, "Displaced by Disaster: Examining the Effects of Hurricanes Maria and Irma on Chronic Homelessness in the United States Virgin Islands" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20783.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20783
