Mary Gates Hall 024 (the D Center)
Title: Characterizing the Effects of Hostile Architecture on the Experiences of Disabled Older Adults Experiencing Houselessness
Presenter: Ian Johnson, Ph.D. Student in Social Welfare
UW School of Social Work
Abstract: In 2018, 17.5% of Seattle’s 12,000 houseless residents were disabled and over 50 years of age. Disability is both a consequence of housing loss and a risk factor for becoming houseless. Compared to most U.S. cities, Seattle’s houseless population is more likely to live in public spaces. As the houselessness epidemic persists, governments increasingly use strategies to deter the use of public space by people experiencing houslessness, known as “hostile architecture.” This project explores the specific ramifications these interventions have on older and disabled people, as well as the ways older disabled people resist these interventions in creative negotiations of contested public space. This project offers tools for advocacy and direct practice with disabled houseless populations.