Figtree
Digital Equity and Accessibility Hackathon
Solution: A web resource for the unhoused
My Role: Team Lead, Design & Research
Programs used: Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Google Slides
“The primary cause of homelessness, particularly among families, is lack of affordable housing. The major triggering causes are eviction, doubled-up in severely overcrowded housing, domestic violence, job loss, and hazardous housing conditions.”
— The Coalition For The Homeless
The Prompt: Digital Equity and Accessibility
According to The National Association of Colleges and Employers, “The term “equity” refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances.”
We began this project by being mystified by what equity and accessibility meant to us as a team. It was a broad concept. Considering equity and accessibility means reaching as many people as possible regardless of the user’s language, physical capabilities, education, cognition, access, and socio-economic status. Through a quick consensus, we decided to focus on the unhoused community.
Who are the Unhoused?
The unhoused community is commonly referred to as the “homeless.” Here are some facts:
People are unhoused for many reasons; the primary reason is the lack of affordable housing. 53% of people living in homeless shelters and 40% of unsheltered people were employed, either full or part-time (2).
About 30% of people without homes are experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness. This means they’ve been without homes for more than 12 months or have experienced extended periods of extended homelessness over the past three years. (3)
25-40% of individual unhoused people (i.e., not part of a family unit) have a substance use disorder, with around a quarter of unhoused people experiencing some form of mental illness. (bipartisan policy.org)
The percentage of homeless veterans has dropped 11% over the past year to 6%. (end homelessness.org)
60% are men or boys, 38% are women or girls, and less than 1% identified as transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning their gender identity. (Frances Torres article-Housing supply)
60% are housed in locations such as emergency shelters, safe havens, or transitional housing programs, while the remaining 40% were unsheltered–i.e. living on the street, in abandoned buildings, or in other places unsuitable for human habitation. (Torres article)
In December of 2022, there were 68,884 homeless people in New York City, including 21,805 children. In July 2023, that number surged to 100,000, mostly due to an influx of migrants. (NY Times article)
While it might be true that not every unhoused person has a disability, it is also true that people often have disabilities that we can’t see. Many homeless people don’t have family or friends to fall back on, and many can’t work due to physical or mental disabilities.
What the Unhoused Need
Just like everyone else, the unhoused have needs for life’s basics: food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and money to provide for these basics. (caufsociety article)
Outside of shelter and food, her are some of the things they need:
Socks, blankets, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, deodorant, cups, bowls, plates, utensils, can openers, hair brushes, haircuts, pain relievers, cold medicine, shoes, pillows, shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets.
Being Homeless in a Cashless Society
Cash transactions decreased during the pandemic 35%.
Getting Services
Cash transactions decreased during the pandemic 35%.
The Digital Divide
73 - 94%
Of homeless own a cell phone.
56%
Of users experience turnover in phones.
55%
Of users experience turnover in phone numbers.
32 - 58%
Of users own a smartphone with internet capabilities.
*See reference section below for citations.
85%
Of smartphone users used an Android operating system.
33%
Of population reported no internet use in the past three months.
Comparative Analysis
Knowing that we wanted to focus on the unhoused community, I did a comparative analysis of other resources in the same space.
Problem Statement
MVPs
User Profile
Our second feature is the user profile. Here, users can store valuable information, such as:
emergency contact
where they’re currently staying
Venmo QR code. By providing a code, users can receive payment for work or donations, and allows them to participate in a cashless society (this feature needs development. Ideally, non-profits or public sector organizations can facilitate this much needed feature)
Notes: a place to write notes and store favorite links, such as patient portals, etc
An inventory of items currently in the user’s possession
A list of needed items, such as clothing, etc
Interactive Map
Interactive Map where users can search resources based on their needs. Anyone can search resources through the app, they do not need to create a profile page.
High Fidelity
I matched the bon appétit website's sophisticated style to create this standalone app.
Make it stand out
Introduce your brand
References
Audrey Montgomery, Jordan M. Neil, Michael B. Cannell, Jennifer Gonzalez, Ashley Cole, Chaelin K. Ra, Krista Kezbers, Jillian Robison, Darla E. Kendzor & Michael S. Businelle, “The Prevalence and Perceived Utility of Mobile Health Technology Among Recently Incarcerated Homeless Adults,” Published February 20, 2023, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41347-023-00308-3Harmony Rhoades, Suzanne L Wenzel, Eric Rice,
Hailey Winetrobe, and Benjamin Henwood, “No Digital Divide? Technology Use among Homeless Adults,” Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, Published May 2017https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315541163_No_Digital_Divide_Technology_Use_among_Homeless_Adults
https://www.security.org/resources/homeless-statistics/
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/housing-supply-and-homelessness/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oJ4LeDPv2p3GtYG2IHNGwZ5TDPjzRSyPs92QmM1NqVZ_usZVhOBMoMaAmSiEALw_wcB