Itinerancy and shelter in the 21st century: exploring dignified living solutions for unsheltered communities

Abstract

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the numbers of homeless individuals has been on the rise since 2017, increasing 2% between 2019 and 2020 alone (“State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition). With statistics like these, the existing solutions in the form of homeless shelters or other affordable housing options cannot accommodate the numbers of people that need support. Shelters and other social service sites can quickly become overcrowded, and there are other factors at play that may deter some people from seeking out shelter services. Currently, solutions for housing the homeless are largely stationary and don’t take into consideration the movement patterns of the population they serve. Relegated to more simple forms of portable shelters, the most popular options for those living on the streets are camping tents, pitched in any location with enough space, whether it is public or private. Today, we see people successfully living and thriving in forms of itinerancy besides homelessness. These conditions range from nomadic communities across the globe to social media influencers traveling in remodeled cargo vans. Bringing to light a variety of situations that call into question what many people associate with the term “itinerancy” will start to challenge and destigmatize the way we think about the condition of homelessness. In my design thesis, I will study the support systems, cultures, and methods of building and movement of multiple migratory communities, to begin to understand the tactics that have allowed some of these mobile lifestyles to endure and provide comfort for the people who live them. To explore these topics, I will map out urban and rural conditions to understand how access to amenities and social services vary by the location in which people live. In addition to mapping, I will provide visual and spatial comparisons of shelters used by other groups of mobile people, as well as inventories of personal possessions to better understand living conditions and needs. These methods will aid in exploring the possibilities of integrating successful aspects of traditional and modern itinerant living into America’s homelessness epidemic to design a community based alternative living environment for people experiencing homelessness in Akron, Ohio.