![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/Molly-Richard-945x1024.jpg\")
\u201cHousing and economic conditions drive homelessness, and structural racism means communities experience these pressures differently,\u201d Richard wrote. \u201cAs rents continue to rise and debates over the solutions to homelessness intensify, we need to encourage local leaders to focus on the root causes: housing affordability and the barriers that block equal access.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her paper, Richard describes how community-level conditions\u2014including housing, labor, and social safety net factors\u2014are associated with each racial group\u2019s homelessness rates, examining data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development\u2019s Point-in-Time count<\/a> of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, and the American Community Survey<\/a>. Higher rental prices, income inequality, and race-specific employment rates are major factors affecting homelessness rates. Richard noted strong relationships between rental costs and Black unsheltered homelessness, and income inequality and Black homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her paper, Richard discusses her findings in the context of racialized housing and labor markets, arguing that \u201crace matters for understanding and addressing homelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some key findings Richard details in her paper include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith this study, I wanted to show that taking a colorblind approach to homelessness limits how we understand its scope, causes, and solutions,\u201d Richard said. \u201cAddressing homelessness means not only making housing more affordable and expanding employment opportunities\u2014but also confronting the racial disadvantages that persist across these systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n