Modeling of the Homeless Population in Louisiana and Introduction of Food Forests in Baton Rouge as a Means of Mitigating Homelessness — Oak Academic Publishing
Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
Modeling of the Homeless Population in Louisiana and Introduction of Food Forests in Baton Rouge as a Means of Mitigating Homelessness
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Public Policy, Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
,
Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
1 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
2 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
3 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
4 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
5 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
6 Department of Public Policy, Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
7 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
8 Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, USA
The homeless experience food insecurity since most of them cannot be employed. Lack of employment makes it difficult for most homeless people to get proper clothing and a place to call home. Some homeless people are not even admissible in some shelters because of their histories. Food costs money and the lack of it has led to large numbers of homeless people eating irregularly whenever they come across it. Lack of food has led some of them to commit a petit crime to get food and something to eat. Baton Rouge has a good number of homeless people. It is unfortunate that most people do not respect homeless people and view them as being useless and not worthy of being in society. Anybody can become homeless depending on circumstances. The objectives of the study were to model the homeless population in Louisiana versus and years, and to assess the potential impacts of urban forest food gardens on the health of the homeless people in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The benefits of food forests were categorized based on health, financial earnings, and mental health, among others. Google scholar search engine was used to access Louisiana ’ s historical homeless population data. The data was modeled with respect to years using Microsoft Excel statistical tool kit. Future homeless populations with respect to the time this work was completed were predicted using extrapolation. There was a sharp increase in Louisiana’s homeless population in the years 2004 to 2006, and 2008 to 2009, respectively. A model developed in this study predicts the homeless population in Louisiana to rise to approximately 11 thousand by 2030. This study proposed the introduction of food forest projects to rehabilitate the homeless population of Baton Rouge through learning agricultural and forestry skills, entrepreneurial skills, and employment. The framework of improving the lives of the homeless Baton Rouge community can be applied to other cities with residents experiencing homelessness.
2020 AHAR: Part 1—PIT Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S|HUD USER.
Albrecht, S., & Wiek, A. (2021). Food Forests: Their Services and Sustainability. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 10, 91-105. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.103.014
Arnold, A., Crowley, S., Bravve, E., Brundage, S., & Biddlecombe, C. (2014). Out of Reach 2014: Twenty-Five Years Later, the Affordable Housing Crisis Continues. National Low Income Housing Coalition, 12, 45-46.
Barton, J., & Pretty, J. (2010). What Is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 44, 3947-3955. https://doi.org/10.1021/es903183r
Barton, J., Griffin, M., & Pretty, J. (2012). Exercise, Nature, and Socially Interactive Based Initiatives Improve Mood and Self-Esteem in the Clinical Population. Perspectives in Public Health, 132, 89-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913910393862
Belcher, B., Ruiz-Pérez, M., & Achdiawan, R. (2005). Global Patterns and Trends in the Use and Management of Commercial NTFPs: Implications for Livelihoods and Conservation. World Development, 33, 1435-1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2004.10.007
Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Added Benefits to Health of Exposure to Natural Environments. BMC Public Health, 10, Article No. 456. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456
Bukowski, C., & Munsell, J. (2018). The Community Food Forest Handbook: How to Plan, Organize, and Nurture Edible Gathering Places. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Caughron, J. R. (2016). An Examination of Food Insecurity and Its Impact on Violent Crime in American Communities. Doctoral Dissertation, Clemson University.
Coufopoulos, A., & Mooney, K. (2012). Food, Nutrition, and Homelessness. Guidance for Practitioners (pp. 1-24). The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
Craven, K., Sapra, S., Harmon, J., & Hyde, M. (2022). “I’m No Criminal, I’m Just Homeless”: The Greensboro Homeless Union’s Efforts to Address the Criminalization of Homelessness. Journal of Community Psychology, 50, 1875-1892. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22671
De Vries, S., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P., & Spreeuwenberg, P. (2003). Natural Environments—Healthy Environments? An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship between Greenspace and Health. Environment Plan A, 35, 1717-1731. https://doi.org/10.1068/a35111
Dreilinger, D. (2021). What’s Next in New Orleans: Louisiana Has the Most Unusual School System in America. But Can the New Board of a Radically Decentralized District Handle the Latest Challenges? Education Next, 21, 32-41.
Garnett, T. (2011). Where Are the Best Opportunities for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Food System (Including the Food Chain)? Food Policy, 36, S23-S32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.10.010
Grahn, P., & Stigsdotter, U. A. (2003). Landscape Planning and Stress. Urban Forest Urban Green, 2, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1078/1618-8667-00019
Hart, S. L., & Ahuja, G. (1996). Does It Pay to Be Green? An Empirical Examination of the Relationship between Emission Reduction and Firm Performance. Business Strategy and the Environment, 5, 30-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0836(199603)5:1 3.0.CO;2-Q
Homeless Health Concerns (2022). https://medlineplus.gov/homelesshealthconcerns.html https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-dashboards
Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Kapur, R. (2020). Health and Well-Being: Fundamental Concepts in Promoting Efficacious and Successful Lives.
Kumar, B. M., & Nair, P. R. (2004). The Enigma of Tropical Homegardens. In New Vistas in Agroforestry: A Compendium for 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, 2004 (pp. 135-152). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2424-1_10
Li, Q., Morimoto, K., Kobayashi, M., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., Hirata, K., Shimizu, T., Li, Y. J., & Wakayama, Y. (2008). A Forest Bathing Trip Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins in Female Subjects. Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents, 22, 45-55.
Li, Q., Morimoto, K., Nakadai, A., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Shimizu, T., Hirata, Y., Hirata, K., Suzuki, H., & Miyazaki, Y. (2007). Forest Bathing Enhances Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 20, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/03946320070200S202
Li, Q., Otsuka, T., Kobayashi, M., Wakayama, Y., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., Li, Y., Hirata, K., Shimizu, T., Suzuki, H., Kawada, T., & Kagawa, T. (2011). Acute Effects of Walking in Forest Environments on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Parameters. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 111, 2845-2853. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-1918-z
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Recidivism in Adult Corrections (2014). https://doc.louisiana.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/jan.19.bb_.pdf
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Recidivism in Adult Corrections (2022). https://doc.louisiana.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/jan.19.bb_.pdf
Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., de Vries, S., Spreeuwenberg, P., Schellevis, F. G., & Groenewegen, P. P. (2009). Morbidity Is Related to a Green Living Environment. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 63, 967-973. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2008.079038
Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P., de Vries, S., & Spreeuwenberg, S. (2006). Green Space, Urbanity, and Health: How Strong Is the Relation? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60, 587-592. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2005.043125
MacroTrends (2023). Baton Rouge Metro Area Population 1950-2023.
Mollison, B. (1979). Permaculture Two: Practical Design and Further Theory in Permanent Agriculture. Tagari Books.
Mollison, B. (1981). Permaculture Two: Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture. Stanley (Tasmania).
Morita, E., Fukuda, S., Nagano, J., Hamajima, N., Yamamoto, H., Iwai, Y., & Shirakawa, T. J. P. H. (2007). Psychological Effects of Forest Environments on Healthy Adults: Shinrin-Yoku (Forest-Air Bathing, Walking) as a Possible Method of Stress Reduction. Public Health, 121, 54-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2006.05.024
Namwamba, J. B. O. (2021). Mapping, Spatial and Temporal Modeling of Urban Heat Islands in Baton Rouge. Doctoral Dissertation, Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Ohtsuka, Y., Yabunaka, N., & Takayama, S. (1998). Shinrin-Yoku (Forest-Air Bathing and Walking) Effectively Decreases Blood Glucose Levels in Diabetic Patients. International Journal of Biometeorology, 41, 125-127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004840050064
Park, B., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Hirano, H., Kagawa, T., Sato, M., & Miyazaki, Y. (2007). Physiological Effects of Shinrin-Yoku (Taking in the Atmosphere of the Forest)—Using Salivary Cortisol and Cerebral Activity as Indicators. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 26, 123-128. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa2.26.123
Park, B., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). The Physiological Effects of Shinrin-Yoku (Taking in the Forest Atmosphere or Forest Bathing): Evidence from Field Experiments in 24 Forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15, 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9
Pretty, J., Griffin, M., Sellens, M., & Pretty, C. (2003). Green Exercise: Complementary Roles of Nature, Exercise and Diet in Physical and Emotional Well-Being and Implications for Public Health Policy. University of Essex; CES Occasional Paper 2003-1.
Puls Jr., E. (1988). The Louisiana Home Orchard. Publication-Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (USA).
Shepard, P. (2013). Coming Home to the Pleistocene. Island Press.
Sholto Douglas, J., & Hart, R. D. J. (1984). Forest Farming. Towards a Solution to Problems of World Hunger and Conservation (2nd ed.). Intermediate Technology Publications. https://doi.org/10.3362/9781780442228
Song, C., Ikei, H., Kobayashi, M., Miura, T., Li, Q., Kagawa, T., Kumeda, S., Imai, M., & Miyazaki, Y. (2017). Effect of Viewing Forest Landscape on Middle-Aged Hypertensive Men. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 21, 247-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.12.010
Song, C., Ikei, H., Park, B. J., Lee, J., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2018). Psychological Benefits of Walking through Forest Areas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, Article No. 2804. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122804
State of Louisiana (2022). Louisiana’s Justice Reinvestment Reforms 2022 Annual Performance Report. https://s32082.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-JRI-ANNUAL-Report-FinalREVISED102022.pdf
Swinburn, B. A., Sacks, G., Hall, K. D., McPherson, K., Finegood, D. T., Moodie, M. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2011). The Global Obesity Pandemic: Shaped by Global Drivers and Local Environments. The Lancet, 378, 804-814. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60813-1
Takano, T., Nakamura, K., & Watanabe, M. (2002). Urban Residential Environments, and Senior Citizens’ Longevity in Megacity Areas: The Importance of Walkable Green Spaces. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56, 913-918. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.56.12.913
The State of Homelessness in America, National Alliance to End Homelessness (2014). http://b.3cdn.net/naeh/d1b106237807ab260f_qam6ydz02.pdf
The State of Housing in Louisiana (2015). https://www.naceda.org/assets/State-of-Housing-in-Louisiana-2015.pdf
The State of the Nation’s Housing. Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (2022).
The State of the Nation’s Housing. Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (2014). http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/sonhr14-color-full.pdf
Thompson Coon, J., Boddy, K., Stein, K., Whear, R., Barton, J., & Depledge, M. H. (2011). Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors? A Systematic Review. Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 1761-1772. https://doi.org/10.1021/es102947t
Tilman, D., & Clark, M. (2014). Global Diets Link Environmental Sustainability and Human Health. Nature, 515, 518-522. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13959
Twumasi, Y. A., Asare-Ansah, A. B., Merem, E. C., Loh, P. M., Namwamba, J. B., Ning, Z. H., & Jeruto, V. (2022). Fusion of Landsat 8 OLI and PlanetScope Images for Urban Forest Management in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Journal of Geographic Information System, 14, 444-461. https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2022.145024
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development & Research, Housing for Youth Aging out of Foster Care, Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research (2012). http://www.huduser.org/publications/pdf/HousingFosterCare_LiteratureReview_0412_v2.pdf
United States Council of Economic Advisers (2019). The State of Homelessness in America. Executive Office of the President of the United States.
Ward Thompson, C., Roe, J., Aspinall, P., Mitchell, R., Clow, A., & Miller, D. (2012). More Green Space Is Linked to Less Stress in Deprived Communities: Evidence from Salivary Cortisol Patterns. Landscape Urban Plan, 105, 221-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.12.015
Wiecha, J. L., Dwyer, J. T., & Dunn-Strohecker, M. (1991). Nutrition and Health Services Are Needed among the Homeless. Public Health Reports, 106, 364-374.