Theoretical Comparisons

The social ecological model conceptualizes how health is affected by multiple factors at different levels (Models and Frameworks for the Practice of Community Engagement, 2015). By considering the interaction between the individual, the close relationships, the community, and the societal (including physical, environmental, political, and social) contexts, this framework helps understand how housing and mass incarceration are public health issues and how best to address them. Research shows that housing instability (such as evictions) is associated with poor health outcomes and that access to stable and affordable housing is unequally distributed by race, with Black households being disproportionately and negatively affected. Similarly, BlPOC are disproportionately policed and discriminated against by the criminal justice system and subject to mass incarceration, loss of civic rights, and police violence (Blankenship et al., 2023). The formerly incarcerated disproportionately experience housing instability and homelessness, with 70% of California’s homeless population being formerly incarcerated (Couloute, 2018). Because of the different levels and intersection within this framework of the individual, close relationships, community, and society, a cross-sector approach in collaborative efforts must be used to adequately address homelessness and work towards homelessness prevention (Cowan et al., 2022). The HP 4 grant uses the social ecological model by providing services to both QLSPs and non-QLSP organizations that are uniquely positioned to prevent homelessness (street medicine practictioners, emergency departments, social workers, etc.) as well as interceding on multiple levels (individual vs. societal).