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Marybeth (Beth) Shinn studies how to prevent and end homelessness and create opportunities for groups that face social exclusion. She seeks to use research to shape social policy. The 12-site Family Options study she conducted with colleagues at Abt Associates and Vanderbilt shows that offering long-term rental subsidies to families in homeless shelters not only ends homelessness for most but has radiating benefits for parents and children and reduces problems like substance abuse, domestic violence, and psychological distress that can sometimes cause homelessness. Qualitative interviews with 80 of the families across four sites helped to understand families’ experiences in the homeless service system, how they make housing decisions, and why so many parents become separated from their children.

Prevention of homelessness requires both that programs be effective and that they go to the “right” people – those for whom they will make the most difference. Targeting may be the harder problem. Thousands of people apply for New York City’s HomeBase homelessness prevention services each year. Shinn and students developed targeting models that the City has adopted to get services to the people most likely to become homeless without them, and have shown that there are no people too “risky” to serve.

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homelessness-expert-on-eviction-moratoriums

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, Department of Human and Organizational Development

Marybeth Shinn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, Department of Human and Organizational Development, is available for commentary on eviction moratoriums and how they work.

An expert on the topic of homelessness and affordable housing, Shinn is also the author of a recently published book, "In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It." Shinn can speak to:
How an eviction moratorium works and consequences for it ending, including accumulated rents being due The health hazard that evictions and potential homelessness or congregate housing cause, especially as we continue to endure COVID Her view that we know what causes homelessness (lack of affordable housing, rising inequality, etc.) and have the resources to end it, but lack the political will Suggested government assistance to end the crisis and how affordable housing is the first step to getting people back on their feet (everything else, such as employment, comes second)   

Homelessness expert on eviction moratoriums

ask-an-expert-what-is-covid19s-impact-on-the-homelessness-crisis

  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the homeless community and homelessness crisis, including posing unique health risks to the homeless population and spurring a likely increase in homelessness due to job losses.

“People experiencing homelessness are at enormous risk of exposure to the coronavirus, due to inability to self-isolate, as evidenced by outbreaks in congregate shelters,” says Marybeth Shinn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor of human, organizational and community development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. “With the cold weather coming, service providers are scrambling to provide food, shelter and outreach services safely, and to use rental assistance to get people into housing.”

Shinn also explains that while eviction moratoriums imposed during the pandemic work to delay evictions, they do not prevent them. Arrears for rent, utilities and fees continue to accumulate when the moratorium ends, and landlords can continue to charge late fees for late payments. On the one hand, moratoriums will help keep many renters in their homes at a time when the alternatives, such as crowding in with friends and relatives or even becoming homeless, puts people’s health at risk. At the same time, landlords, especially small landlords, are also suffering. Landlords often have mortgages as well as other expenses to pay, relying on rental income to do so.

In her new book with Abt Associates researcher Jill Khadduri, In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It, Shinn argues that homelessness is not a result of personal failure, but rather societal failure, as we have the knowledge and resources to end homelessness but lack the political will. As an immediate step during the pandemic, Shinn advises that Congress needs to enact relief for tenants and landlords, as well as reinstate weekly supplements to unemployment benefits to help people stay current on rent.




Ask an Expert: What is COVID-19’s impact on the homelessness crisis?

As a result of the pandemic, many have lost their jobs and their homes. That, combined with anxieties within shelters around new inhabitants and increasing the risk of widespread infection, the homelessness crisis is reaching new heights in the United States. Professor at Vanderbilt University and Author of "In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What To Do About It," Dr. MaryBeth Shinn speaks about how the pandemic has impacted homelessness, legislation changes to acts surrounding fair housing and how the new administration could tackle the issue.

Learn more about Marybeth Shinn's expertise and media appearances here:
https://expertfile.com/experts/marybeth.shinn

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Dr. Marybeth Shinn on COVID-19's Effect on Homelessness in the United States

Vanderbilt University faculty are sharing their expertise on a range of topics related to COVID-19. Subscribe to Vanderbilt’s “Ask an Expert” series on YouTube to get the latest updates.


The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the homeless community and homelessness crisis, including posing unique health risks to the homeless population and spurring a likely increase in homelessness due to job losses.
 
“People experiencing homelessness are at enormous risk of exposure to the coronavirus, due to inability to self-isolate, as evidenced by outbreaks in congregate shelters,” says Marybeth Shinn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. “With the cold weather coming, service providers are scrambling to provide food, shelter and outreach services safely, and to use rental assistance to get people into housing.”
 
Shinn also explains that while eviction moratoriums imposed during the pandemic work to delay evictions, they do not prevent them. Arrears for rent, utilities and fees continue to accumulate when the moratorium ends, and landlords can continue to charge late fees for late payments. On the one hand, moratoriums will help keep many renters in their homes at a time when the alternatives, such as crowding in with friends and relatives or even becoming homeless, puts people’s health at risk. At the same time, landlords, especially small landlords, are also suffering. Landlords often have mortgages as well as other expenses to pay, relying on rental income to do so. 
 
In her new book with Abt Associates researcher Jill Khadduri, In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and What to Do About It, Shinn argues that homelessness is not a result of personal failure, but rather societal failure, as we have the knowledge and resources to end homelessness but lack the political will. As an immediate step during the pandemic, Shinn advises that Congress needs to enact relief for tenants and landlords, as well as reinstate weekly supplements to unemployment benefits to help people stay current on rent.


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