Research Finds Institutional Coordination Lacking to Address Homelessness in Public Natural Areas

Affordable housing shortages, unemployment, and mental illness are some of the intersecting factors contributing to homelessness in many parts of the United States. Homelessness on public lands is further influenced by diverse ecological settings and governance systems. 

To learn more about this complex issue, research social scientists Monika Derrien, Lee Cerveny, and Dale Blahna with the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station worked with colleagues at the University of Washington to investigate the systems influencing homelessness in public natural areas in the Seattle metropolitan area. The team interviewed land management and other environmental professionals, social service providers, and law enforcement officers to learn their perspectives on the institutional dynamics influencing homelessness in the region. 

Their interviews revealed perceptions of a generally uncoordinated system in continual motion. The researchers discovered that considerable resources were expended for short-term, site-specific solutions that yielded unfavorable outcomes for unsheltered individuals, social service and environmental institutions, and ecosystem health. At the same time, they observed how ecosystem services such as water and firewood supported the lives of unsheltered individuals residing in public natural areas, and how the homeless population was affected by intersecting governance systems. 

Their research findings suggest that increased collaboration and coordination of institutional responses would likely yield more desirable public land, public health, and social outcomes. 

Coordination around public lands homelessness has not yet occurred organically or at large enough scales to be effective, and policy interventions have not yet supported needed responses. 

To promote awareness, the research team has shared their findings with the USDA Forest Service’s Washington Office; Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources staff; and Pacific Northwest Region regional leadership team as well as the Washington Trails Association, local land trusts, and others.