User:Adommal/sandbox


 * Hi! Can you give me any advice for improving this article?--Adommal (talk) 00:53, 22 September 2017 (UTC)

Being bold is important in Wikipedia

Article Evaluation
Berkeley, California --> article for my PE org area

There's not much in-depth information about the homelessness subsection here. But that's also because it's under demographics so they only have the estimated amount of homeless people in Berkeley. This will be the main article I'd like to add on and talk about the mental/physical/emotional health of homeless people in Berkeley. But should I create a new section called homelessness and under that section, I can put mental/physical/emotional health? And I can suggest for them to remove the subsection "homelessness" but just move their data of "In 2015, an estimated 834-1200 people were homeless in Berkeley" into the general demographics. So I'm not eliminating anything but just moving informations around since they only have one line under Homelessness. I am not quite confident in finding of good scholarly articles that's specifically for Berkeley Homelessness though since it might be too specific but I'm still on a hunt so hopefully it will be okay.

This article page has a pretty good overview of history of Berkeley and they did briefly mentioned about People's Park. Originally for the miniR assignment, I wanted to investigate the history of homelessness in Berkeley since the 1960's as I thought that it would be more revealing to begin with the failure of People's Park. I think I can add on to the history section by further elaborating more about People's Park that's a main contributor for homelessness in Berkeley. I think I might actually find good scholarly articles on this topic.

This article has been a part of 3 WikiProjects (San Francisco/Bay Area, Cities, & United States) and it's rated as C-class for all of them. There's not much ongoing conversations about how to represent this topic. Each facts are referenced approproately/reliably and infos are mostly up to date except for the demographics/climate (they have 2010 data but they also have a brief 2016 data). I have also checked a few citations and the links worked. The sources I checked supported the claims in article. In my opinion, the article is pretty much informative/neutral but there are some improvements that can definitely be made.

Homelessness in the United States --> article for my PE org sector

Everything in this article is relevant to the article topic and they organized it by states. Some of the states definitely have way more information than other states like California and Rhode Island. Since my main focus is Homelessness in Berkeley, California perhaps I can add Berkeley under California. They only have Los Angeles and San Francisco under California.

Homelessness is only organized by states but they can definitely add more evaluations such as if there's any common causes/similarities between the states' homelessness population. This is a good brief neutral overview & exhaustive list by states so I guess they didn't really go too much into depth with everything about homelessness in that specific states.

There's nothing on the Talk page, no conversations going on of any kind, it is not part of any WikiProjects and there's no ratings. I checked a few citations and they did work. The sources I checked supports the claims in the article and the facts are reference appropriately. Informations are pretty much up to date as 2016 is pretty recent.

UPDATE NOTE: Checked October 5th and they completely changed the format of this article. It's now rated B-class and has more in-depth info. They didn't erase the previous info on the article though, they just linked it to another wikipedia article and named it as "Homelessness in the United States by state"

Scholarly Sources and Summaries
For Berkeley, Ca:

1. Shattuck Avenue: Commercial Corridor Historic Context and Survey". City of Berkeley. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

Link: http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1054/files/berkeley%20shattuck%20context%2005-28-2015.pdf

This has a brief overview of history including one after World War II about homelessness in Berkeley that I can take. There's not a lot from this but there's still useful information I can use.

2. "Affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health: What heath care policy needs to address.." The Free Library. 2015 Southern Public Administration Education Foundation, Inc. 19 Oct. 2017

Link: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Affordable+housing%2C+homelessness%2C+and+mental+health%3A+What+heath+care+...-a0420325578

This has a good enough information that I can include under the Health section. Some I've already added during Week 6 and they still haven't taken it off yet so maybe I can just expand on those also.

3. Hopers, Richard H, and Richard Boyer. “Perceived Health Status among the New Urban Homeless.” Soc Sci Med, vol. 24, pp. 669–678.

Link: https://ac.els-cdn.com/0277953687903108/1-s2.0-0277953687903108-main.pdf?_tid=06e59496-b509-11e7-9044-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1508443783_e2672ab3ebf7fded881b6081f197130b

They have brief sections about demographic and situational variables in relation to urban homelessness. I can also include this info as part of the history for homelessness.

For Homelessness in the United States:

1. Avery, Jacob. “Chapter 8.” Poverty and Health: A Crisis among America's Most Vulnerable, Praeger, 2013. Link: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MazWAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA165&dq=Berkeley+homelessness+health&ots=f1-7-JCp2T&sig=vTgn4VmPMynMz38FQ9PmDpMXjTw#v=onepage&q=Berkeley%20homelessness%20health&f=false

They have substance abuse, mental illness and physical health problems in relation to homelessness that I can definitely add more under the health section

2. Baggett, Travis P, and Darlene M Jenkins. “Chapter 6.” Poverty and Health: A Crisis among America's Most Vulnerable, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, LLC Link: https://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/baggett-jenkins-chp-6-homelessness-health-poverty-health-vol-1-praeger-2013.pdf

This is from the same book as the previous one but just a different chapter and have sections such as "general health" of homeless people and have sections such as health care, and lack of housing as a chronic stressor.

3. Zuvekas, S. H. and Hill, S. C. (2000), Income and employment among homeless people: the role of mental health, health and substance abuse. J. Mental Health Policy Econ., 3: 153–163. doi: 10.1002/mhp.94 Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mhp.94/full

This is a study done by researchers who concluded that there's more homeless people who actually work than we thought. I can include this not under the health section but maybe on the introductory part of the wikipedia article.

Other backup resources I can use for later:

Trauma, Family Factors and the Mental Health of Homeless Adolescents

Stress, Coping, and Mental Health Differences among Homeless People

Health of the Homeless

The health of homeless people in high-income countries: descriptive epidemiology, health consequences, and clinical and policy recommendations

What to put on articles (Week 6)
Homelessness in the United States --> Effects of Homelessness--> Health

There is a bidirectional relationship between homelessness and poor health. Health conditions, such as substance abuse and mental illness, can increase people's susceptibility to homelessness. Conversely, homelessness can further cause health issues as they come with constant exposure to environmental threat.(page 106 of poverty n health)

Berkeley, California --> Demographics --> Homelessness

About half of these numbers are deinstitutionalized mentally ill people (from Affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health: What heath care policy needs to address journal)

Add a citation to unreferenced statement: Berkeley, California --> 1950's and 1960's Statement: "Berkeley is strongly identified with the rapid social changes, civic unrest, and political upheaval that characterized the late 1960s" Cite found: http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1054/files/berkeley%20shattuck%20context%2005-28-2015.pdf

'They haven't taken off my edits. YAY!!'

Summarizing and Synthesizing
For Berkeley, California:

In the decade following World War II and by the 1950s, America, and California in particular, had become a car-oriented society. This aspect of American culture is reflected in the architecture and resource types of the contemporary period. The abandonment of urban downtown environs like Berkeley’s Shattuck Avenue corridor led to an increasingly suburban population in both the Bay Area and the United States.

Events resulted in pay reductions, job layoffs, bankruptcies, and skyrocketing foreclosures, which have plunged many families and individuals into severe economic hardship, particularly those living in low-income communities. As such, deepening poverty is inextricably linked with rising levels of homelessness for many Americans. Still, the vast majority of homeless persons in the United States are those who suffer from mental health issues.

In Berkeley, California, on any given night there are 1,000 to 1,200 people sleeping on the streets, half of whom were deinstitutionalized mentally ill people. Moreover, while "dumping" patients out of hospitals saves mental health systems funding, it increases the overall cost to taxpayers by shifting care to more expensive jails and prisons. Poor health is not just a random phenomenon among the homeless, and the hierarchy among demographic and situational variables undermine the major contribution of unemployment to poor health.

For Homelessness in the United States:

The homeless suffer from disproportionately high rates of polysubstance abuse, mental illness, physical health problems and legal issues/barriers in attaining employment. Lack of health insurance and the multiple exigencies of the homeless condition inhibit many homeless persons from receiving care.

Homelessness is an independent risk factor for deaths from specific causes. The condition of homelessness is a highly stressful social situation that involves significant daily struggles and is usually preceded or accompanied by stressful life events. Indeed, homelessness exacts a heavy toll on individuals and the longer individuals experience homelessness, the more likely they are to experience poor health and be at higher risk for premature death. Certain health conditions, such as substance use and mental illness, may heighten a person's susceptibility to homelessness. Conversely, homelessness can cause or exacerbate poor health through exposure to the hazards of violence, poor nutrition, substandard living conditions, and communicable diseases. When asked, most homeless individuals will mention concerns about their feet, teeth, or eyesight as their top health priorities, speaking to the centrality of physical mobility, nutrition, and vision to daily survival on the streets. However, a large body of evidence has demonstrated that the health problems of homeless people extend far beyond these domains of immediate concern.

While a surprisingly large number of homeless people work, few homeless persons are able to generate significant earnings from employment alone. Physical health problems that limit work or daily activities, in particular, are barriers to employment. Drug and alcohol abuse and dependence are positively associated with lower work level but are negatively related to higher work level. Program participation is quite low relative to eligibility. Those with physical health problems are substantially more likely than those with mental health problems to be in the more generous disability programs. Substance use disorders are also a barrier to participation in disability programs. Rates of participation in government programs are low, and people with major mental disorders have especially low participation rate in disability programs. The low rates of participation, particularly in the disability programs, suggest the need for continued research in improving access to income support programs among eligible homeless populations.

Summarizing and Synthesizing - Expanded/Edited (week 9)
For Berkeley, California: 

Although the 1920s were a period of tremendous material growth, the most dramatic event of the decade in Berkeley was a great natural disaster. In 1923, a fire began in Wildcat Canyon, in what is today Tilden Park. The fire continued burning and even though the conflagration resulted in no deaths or serious injuries, it destroyed 584 buildings and damaged more than 30 others. The total economic loss was about ten million dollars and approximately 4,000 people were left homeless.

In the decade following World War II and by the 1950s, America, and California in particular, had become a car-oriented society. This aspect of American culture is reflected in the architecture and resource types of the contemporary period. The abandonment of urban downtown environs like Berkeley’s Shattuck Avenue corridor led to an increasingly suburban population in both the Bay Area and the United States.

Events resulted in pay reductions, job layoffs, bankruptcies, and skyrocketing foreclosures, which have plunged many families and individuals into severe economic hardship, particularly those living in low-income communities. As such, deepening poverty is inextricably linked with rising levels of homelessness for many Americans. Still, the vast majority of homeless persons in the United States are those who suffer from mental health issues.

In the 60s, Telegraph Avenue street people were often young adventurers testing the frontiers of the countercultural experience. By the 80s, street people were more likely to be impoverished and homeless, sometimes plagued by drug and acohol abuse. In the mid-80s, restless young African Americans hung out on the Avenue, and in the 90s, young, homeless whites established themselves in the area.

In Berkeley, California, on any given night there are 1,000 to 1,200 people sleeping on the streets, half of whom were deinstitutionalized mentally ill people. Moreover, while "dumping" patients out of hospitals saves mental health systems funding, it increases the overall cost to taxpayers by shifting care to more expensive jails and prisons. Poor health is not just a random phenomenon among the homeless, and the hierarchy among demographic and situational variables undermine the major contribution of unemployment to poor health.

For Homelessness in the United States:

The homeless suffer from disproportionately high rates of polysubstance abuse, mental illness, physical health problems and legal issues/barriers in attaining employment. Lack of health insurance and the multiple exigencies of the homeless condition inhibit many homeless persons from receiving care.

Homelessness is an independent risk factor for deaths from specific causes. The condition of homelessness is a highly stressful social situation that involves significant daily struggles and is usually preceded or accompanied by stressful life events. Indeed, homelessness exacts a heavy toll on individuals and the longer individuals experience homelessness, the more likely they are to experience poor health and be at higher risk for premature death. Certain health conditions, such as substance use and mental illness, may heighten a person's susceptibility to homelessness. Conversely, homelessness can cause or exacerbate poor health through exposure to the hazards of violence, poor nutrition, substandard living conditions, and communicable diseases. When asked, most homeless individuals will mention concerns about their feet, teeth, or eyesight as their top health priorities, speaking to the centrality of physical mobility, nutrition, and vision to daily survival on the streets. However, a large body of evidence has demonstrated that the health problems of homeless people extend far beyond these domains of immediate concern.

While a surprisingly large number of homeless people work, few homeless persons are able to generate significant earnings from employment alone. Physical health problems that limit work or daily activities, in particular, are barriers to employment. Drug and alcohol abuse and dependence are positively associated with lower work level but are negatively related to higher work level. Program participation is quite low relative to eligibility. Those with physical health problems are substantially more likely than those with mental health problems to be in the more generous disability programs. Substance use disorders are also a barrier to participation in disability programs. Rates of participation in government programs are low, and people with major mental disorders have especially low participation rate in disability programs. The low rates of participation, particularly in the disability programs, suggest the need for continued research in improving access to income support programs among eligible homeless populations.

My Final Contributions
Berkeley, California:

5 October 2017: made 4 edits. Added a reference/citation to the first sentence of third paragraph. Added a line + citation about homelessness under demographics

16 November 2017: made 2 edits. removed homelessness under demographics. Removed 2 sentences from there + created new section called Homelessness in Berkeley

7 December 2017: made 7 edits. added subsections history + 21st century under homelessness in berkeley. added half a sentence to kathy's 1st sentence under 21st century. added 3 main paragraphs under history subsection. included citations for my additions. Also linked People's Park to it's own wikipedia article.

Homelessness in the United States:

5 October 2017: added 3 lines about health under effects of homelessness section

16 November 2017: removed first 2 paragraphs under health subsection as it is not that relevant to the subject.

7 December 2017: added 3 main paragraphs under health subsection, deleted 1st paragraph i added. Included citations for my additions.

Final Updated Scholarly Sources
Berkeley, California:

1. "Affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health: What heath care policy needs to address.." The Free Library. 2015 Southern Public Administration Education Foundation, Inc. 19 Oct. 2017

→ This source focuses more on discussing about the problems of inadequate healthcare for homeless people and the political-economic difficulty of providing adequate housing for low-income persons and how this is a policy problem that needs to be given focus and attention in the ACA. They also talked about the fact that mental health issues is still one of the leading causes of homelessness. They have statistics about Berkeley as an example and that about half of these numbers are mentally-ill people. I only included the latter fact as Kathy found a different source for the statistics that she included on the article.

2. Don Mitchell (1995) The End of Public Space?People's Park, Definitions of thePublic, and Democracy, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 85:1, 108-133

→ This article talked about the importance of public spaces especially for those who don’t have a permanent home. They talked about People’s Park as one of their main examples and how theres been arguments whether or not they should build something at People’s Park or leave it as it is (a safe haven for homeless people). Either way, it doesn’t erases the fact that People’s Park has been recognized as a refuge for homeless people since it’s founding and this is what I included on my paragraph.

3. Quigley, John M., et al. Homelessness in California. Public Policy Institute of California, 2001.

→ This source included information about the rapidly rising homelessness in the 80’s and that in California, homelessness might be substantially reduced with modest policy changes attacking the problem in the most obvious way: by adding to the stock of adequate housing accessible to the poor. They included some conflicting arguments as to what exactly caused the rapid rise of homelessness (is it the personal attributes of the homeless? policy? rent?). All sides, however, did include the fact that large-scale deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill in the last quarter of the 20th century coincided with growth in the number of public shelters and increased visibility of the homeless (and this is what I included on my paragraph).

4. "Shattuck Avenue: Commercial Corridor Historic Context and Survey". City of Berkeley. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

→ This source is from the Department of Planning and Development in city of Berkeley which included facts about the homeless population in Telegraph Avenue that I also cited in my paragraph.

5. Wollenberg, Charles. Berkeley: a City in History. University of California Press, 2008.

→ This was a very helpful source as they dived into the evolution of what drove people to homelessness in Berkeley. They included historical backgrounds such as the fire in Wildcat Canyon. 1920’s is the earliest cutoff period where I can find information about Berkeley homelessness and this is where I found it.

6. BOSS organization website

→ This is just my organization’s website where I found some history as to how BOSS started and became an organization. Included this fact for my last sentence under history subsection.

Homelessness in the United States:

1. "Affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health: What heath care policy needs to address.." The Free Library. 2015 Southern Public Administration Education Foundation, Inc. 26 Oct. 2017

→ This is the same source I used earlier for Berkeley. They did have an example for Berkeley but they also talked about homelessness and mental illness in general. Other than the fact that people with disabilities such as mental disorder and how they’re more likely to become homeless than the general population, they included the fact that rates of participation in government programs are low, and people with major mental disorders have especially low participation rate in disability programs (this is what I included on my paragraph).

2. Avery, Jacob. “Chapter 8.” Poverty and Health: A Crisis among America's Most Vulnerable, Praeger, 2013.

→ This is Chapter 8 of the entire book and they talked about major findings/relation between homelessness and health. They listed out how there’s a bidirectional relationship between homelessness and health. Being exposed to environmental threat cause further health issues and being mentally ill/having other health issues (substance abuse, etc) also increases people’s chances of being homeless (this is what I included on my paragraph, I cited the bidirectional relationship using a different source)

3. Baggett, Travis P, and Darlene M Jenkins. “Chapter 6.” Poverty and Health: A Crisis among America's Most Vulnerable, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, LLC

→ This source also talked about the relationship between homelessness and health. They have an exhaustive specific list such as information about chronic homeless veterans, violence, victimization and trauma, etc. But since I’m focusing on just the general effects of homelessness on health, I didn’t want to be too specific with my information so I just took the part where they stated that drug and alcohol abuse and dependence are positively associated with lower work level but are negatively related to higher work level.

4. Lippert, A. M. and Lee, B. A. (2015), Stress, Coping, and Mental Health Differences among Homeless People. Sociol Inq, 85: 343–374. doi:10.1111/soin.12080

→ This source mainly focuses on the mental health of homeless people. Their research/analysis found that psychiatric disorders are most common among people who are chronically or episodically homeless and least common among the new-entry homeless. I didn’t include this information though but instead, included their statement that there’s a bidirectional relationship between health and homelessness. I needed another source to get information from, so I found this article and found out that they talked about bidirectional relationship so this is what I used to cite that information.

5. Quigley, John M., et al. Homelessness in California. Public Policy Institute of California, 2001

→ This source is the same one I also used for Berkeley but I’m also utilizing it here as some of their information applies more towards health of homelessness in the US. Other than the description I wrote about this source earlier, they also talked about the fact that the longer individuals experience homelessness, the more likely they are to experience poor health and be at higher risk for premature death (and this is what I included on my paragraph).

6. Zuvekas, S. H. and Hill, S. C. (2000), Income and employment among homeless people: the role of mental health, health and substance abuse. J. Mental Health Policy Econ., 3: 153–163.

→ This source talked about incomes and employment and disability programs for homeless people. It turns out that they do work but it’s not enough to make enough income from their earnings alone.