OPINION|
by Serenity Sosa, Leah Oliver, Maverick Hill, & Andrew Jordan, Springfield
Since the invention of the internet, there has been interest in community connection. The creation centered on the sharing of information militarily, expanded to scientific communication, and has since found its way into the hands of 67% of the global population (1).
The usage of the internet and technological devices has created a pathway for governments, organizations, and individual people to tell their stories and, most importantly, solve pressing issues.
In Springfield, on an average day, you can encounter many people who are temporarily and often chronically unhoused. As Eden Village leaders recount, there is a lack of safety and security coupled with harsh weather conditions and vulnerability to crime that keep individuals in a cycle of homelessness.
The local community organizations need help reducing homelessness in Greene County, and we believe that the devices that we hold in our hands have the power to connect those experiencing homelessness to safe and secure housing. Previous research indicates that more than two-thirds of the world’s total population uses a mobile phone, and unhoused people are no exception, with studies showing that 94% of homeless people own a smartphone. (Data Reports, 2023).
Those experiencing homelessness have an increased risk of negative health outcomes, and it is vital that our community providers are at the forefront of best practices that can transform the lives of our local unhoused population (Rhoades et al.,).
This is where the Shelter App comes in. The Shelter App has many valuable tools and resources to offer both service providers and the local unhoused population. This app is available on all three platforms, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store, and is website-based. Users are able to connect to registered service providers using the app and have access to list and map views to connect to services easily. The user interface has toggle information for open and closed services, gender and age filters, and select group filters like families, disabled, and LGBTQ+. The Shelter App also includes locations of shelters, medical facilities, and food providers.
This type of app has the power to transform our community.
(1) Harmony Rhoades, Suzanne L. Wenzel, Eric Rice, Hailey Winetrobe & Benjamin Henwood (2017): No digital divide? Technology use among homeless adults, Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, DOI: 10.1080/10530789.2017.1305140