Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

George R. Larkin

Abstract

Housing First is a nationally recognized approach to solving homelessness, but literature does not account for the unique characteristics of geographic locations that are isolated and have high cost of living. This study examined one such city and benchmarked it against another. To protect the identities of these cities, the alias Island City (IC) for the city under examination and Sun City for the benchmark. This research explored IC’s Housing First program related to mitigating homelessness. The purpose of this study was to benchmark IC’s Housing First program against Sun City’s program using the context, input, process, and product (CIPP) evaluation model. Through an evaluation of publicly available information and interview, IC’s program strengths and weaknesses were extrapolated. Overall, IC had all the tenets of a successful Housing First program, including various housing options, services available, and numerous outreach initiatives. However, IC struggled to capitalize on opportunities on a larger scale and create enough resources to match trends in homelessness. Lessons learned from Sun City’s program, included leadership, diversified funding, increased transparency, data sharing, and emphasizing innovation in Housing First solutions, could aid IC in expanding the scope and extent of its reach leading to positive social change.

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