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109 | Overcoming Relational Poverty through Neighbor to Neighbor

Tracks
Workshop
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Room 304-305

Session Overview

The absence of networks of support, i.e., relational poverty, is a significant issue, even for those in Housing First facilities. This session will explore relational poverty and its physical and emotional impact on those without homes. One important strategy for overcoming this major problem is being explored in a pilot study, The Neighbor to Neighbor Project in Kelowna, British Columbia. Matching volunteers from faith-based groups to newly housed individuals, the project facilitates opportunities to develop relationships with neighbors, thus fostering community integration.


Description

The absence of networks of support, i.e., relational poverty, is a significant issue, even for those in Housing First facilities. This session will explore relational poverty and its physical and emotional impact on those without homes. One important strategy for overcoming this major problem is being explored in a pilot study, The Neighbor to Neighbor Project in Kelowna, British Columbia. Matching volunteers from faith-based groups to newly housed individuals, the project facilitates opportunities to develop relationships with neighbors, thus fostering community integration.


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Donald Burnes
Founder
Burnes Institute for Poverty Research

Presenter

Donald Burnes, PhD, has worked on homelessness for almost 40 years and has written four books on the subject. He, Adler, Banh, and Bilbija are the co-authors of the fourth book: When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness. Banh, a recent Princeton graduate, experienced extreme poverty and homelessness as a Vietnamese child when her parents immigrated to the US.
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Stephanie Laing
Director of Operations
Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre, University of British Columbia Okanagan

Presenter

Stephanie Laing, MSW, RSW, is the Director of Operations for the Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre and a PhD student at the University of Calgary.
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Dr John Graham
Professor
Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre, University of British Columbia Okanagan

Presenter

John Graham, PhD, RSW is Professor of Social Work and former Director of the School at the University of British Columbia - Okanagan. John leads the Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre, a multi-disciplinary team of community-engaged researchers working to accelerate an end to homelessness.
Amanda Banh

Presenter

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