After reading Chapter 3 of Eubanks, “High Tech Homelessness in Los Angeles”, complete the following reading reflection and discussion questions. You do not need to do so in essay form; responding bullet point by bullet point is acceptable.
Homelessness in Los Angeles
- What is the difference between crisis homelessness and chronic homelessness? Why do social workers recognize this difference?
- What are the two main philosophies that coordinated entry is run under? Explain them in your own words.
The VI-SPDAT
- What is the purpose of the VI-SPDAT survey?
- What kind of data is gathered by the VI-SPDAT survey?
- What is the role of the VI-SPDAT in determining what types of assistance is needed by each person experiencing homelessness?
- What deterrents might exist that keep people experiencing homelessness from being honest on the VI-SPDAT?
- How many organizations have access to the data gathered by the VI-SPDAT?
The VI-SPDAT in Context
- Think about the questions on the VI-SPDAT. When you applied to where you have been living, did you have to give the same or less information about yourself for your application? How would you respond to a landlord in Bloomington asking you these questions?
- Eubanks describes some of the questions on the VI-SPDAT on page 93 in the reading. You can also refer back to the attached copy of the survey.
