Today’s site visit surrounding ideas of researching and combating homelessness in the Netherlands allowed me to see the possible global impact of my intended professional field and the social issues that I care about. I hope to one day work at the intersection of data visualization, design, urban planning, and social activism, so thinking about the ways in which a country navigates supporting an entire population of people that are outside the social, economic, and political norm shows me that having both hard and soft skills in different disciplines is they key to being an effective collaborator and innovator for these types of big picture social issues.
I was actually surprised to hear Nienke Boesveldt say that a lot of work with homeless communities happens within rather than between sectors because each sector can work to combat a certain issue or provide a certain service. Maybe I misunderstood her point, but to me the need to provide sustainable shelter, food, work, social mobility, and a community for an entire population of marginalized citizens is a multidimensional challenge that requires open collaboration between sectors. Yes, different sectors can take the reins in certain areas, but collaboration is essential for coming up with the most cost efficient and beneficial solutions to this structural issue. I appreciated the way that Nienke drew our attention to how essential preventative programming is to the success of her research. Much like our safety-net conversation during our first week of class, breaking the cycle of homelessness requires systems and services that can eliminate obstacles before people experience them. For example, by funding the construction of more shelters in large cities there is an expectation that the shelters will be filled. However, if that same money could be diverted into job training and affordable housing projects then the homeless population would have a better chance of gaining skills are sustainable resources that could change the trajectory forever rather than the band-aid solution of a shelter. This is not to say that shelters should no longer exist, but I do think that reevaluating the purpose of an investment and the questions it’s answering would lead to more combative and productive problem solving strategies in the future.
Today allowed me to bridge a lot of connections between my own interests, our “Ten Faces of Innovation” readings, and the work being done in the public sector surrounding homelessness in the Netherlands. I really appreciate days like today because we got a balance of hearing from speakers in their respective fields while also getting to explore a new city, Utrecht.
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