Affiliate Instructor, Nancy Lee, Publishing 19th Book

Thanks to Nancy Lee for sharing information about their upcoming book, Reducing Homelessness: A Social Marketing Approach, published by Ethics Press. Read on for more information about Affiliate Instructor Nancy Lee and the new book.

Prologue

In 2023, when I completed my book on Reducing Gun Deaths & Injuries: A Social Marketing Approach, I asked myself: “What’s the next wicked problem that a social marketing approach can contribute more to?” An idea emerged immediately, as I reflected on an experience the night before. Once a month, our Rotary Club volunteers at a local food kitchen downtown Seattle, making dinners for 150 homeless individuals who line up around the block and, when doors open, “come in and get it.” A conversation I had that night with a woman inspired me to take on homelessness.

I asked her: “What shelter are you staying in?”
She responded: “I’m not in a shelter. I sleep on sidewalks and in parks, a different place every night.”
I asked her: “What are some of the reasons you haven’t accepted being in a shelter?”
She responded: “I am a victim of Domestic Violence, and I bet my husband would go looking for me there.”
I gave her a small wallet card: “Here is a note about a confidential domestic violence shelter close by that keeps the address secret to protect residents from being found by abusive partners, with staff trained in safety protocols.”
With tears she shared: “Thank you. I had no idea. I will call them tonight.”


This engagement confirmed for me that a social marketing approach that identifies audience Barriers and Desired Benefits, and then focuses on strategies to address them was needed. And after 6 months of research, the most impactful strategies emerged, the 4Ss:
• Sector Approach
• Share Resources
• Shelter Availability
• Services Accessible
The following are four stages in the homelessness cycle that this book focuses on, ones that support, in the end, moving on the Permanent Housing. Strategies to obtain Permanent Housing are not covered.

  1. At Risk for Eviction: At this stage, people are currently housed, most often in rental units, and are at risk of eviction by property owners due to unpaid rent.
  2. Currently Unsheltered: This is when someone’s nighttime location is not a regular accommodation, most often “camped out” in a public park, a car, an abandoned building, or other public spaces.
  3. Currently in a Temporary Shelter: They may be staying in an emergency shelter or a transitional housing facility, most often with limited stay times.
  4. Ready to Move On to Transitional or Permanent Supportive Housing: This group is actively engaged in exploring strategies to move into housing that provides housing assistance and supportive services on a long-term basis.  

What’s the Problem?

The problem this book is addressing is Homelessness in the United States. In a 2024 Annual Report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported: “The number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was the highest ever recorded.”1 A total of 771,480 people, .2% of the U.S. population, were experiencing homelessness in an emergency shelter, safe haven, transitional housing program, or in unsheltered locations across the country. Among this count, a third (152,585) were reported as having chronic patterns of homelessness, defined by HUD as having been homeless “for at least one year or on at least four separate occasions in the last 3 years.”2

Why is Homelessness Considered Such a Problem?

Trends

HUD’s 2024 Annual Report indicated an overall increase of 19% in the number of people experiencing homelessness in 2024 compared to 2007, the first year national data was collected during the single Point-In-Time (PIT) count when there were 647,258 people experiencing homelessness.3 Between 2007 and 2024, the lowest number was in 2016 when the estimated count was 549,928. It is noteworthy that the greatest increase was in 2023, rising from 653,104 people experiencing homelessness to 771,480 in 2024 in just one year’s time, and that this “increase of 118,376 people was largely driven by an increase in the sheltered population, which rose by 25%”, likely reflecting increased shelter capacity created during the pandemic.4 The following section describes why homelessness needs to be addressed for those that are homeless, for communities with homeless populations, and to help ensure a strong economy.

The Problem for the Homeless

A broad array of problems may arise from being homeless, especially for those living on the street or in crowded homeless shelters. The following summary is from a variety of sources, including many noted by CDC:5

HEALTH:

  • Increased risk of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and Coronavirus
  • Increased risk or worsening of mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Difficulty accessing health care services due to structural issues such as lack of transportation
  • Economic barriers to needed health care and social services including lack of insurance and personal identification documents
  • Worsening chronic health conditions such as diabetes or asthma, often because of lack of access to medications or a safe place to store medications

SAFETY:

  • Greater risk of assault
  • Frequent theft of personal items including cell phones, prescription drugs and medical equipment
  • Potential for criminalization for loitering and sleeping in public spaces

BASIC NEEDS:

  • Inconsistent access to nutritious meals and clean drinking water
  • Difficulty maintaining hygiene, given limited access to bathrooms and showers
  • Exposure to extreme weather

SOCIAL ISOLATION:

  • Disconnection from family, friends and other support networks

ECONOMIC INSTABILITY:

  • Risk of losing current employment given mental instability and lack of transportation
  • Difficulty in finding employment due to lack of an address and transportation
  • Inability to access current financial assets such as bank accounts
  • Potential for criminalization for loitering and sleeping in public spaces

IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:

  • Risk for children missing school and subsequent academic performance
  • Risk of children being taken into foster care or families being split up

About the Author

Nancy Lee has more than 30 years of professional marketing experience, with special expertise in Social Marketing, the proven discipline for Behavior Change for Social Good.


She is president of Social Marketing Services, Inc., in Seattle, Washington, a strategic advisor for social marketing campaigns at C+C, a communications firm in Seattle, and an Affiliate Instructor at the University of Washington where she teaches social marketing in the Public Administration and Public Health programs. She also teaches an online Professional Certificate Course for the International Social Marketing Association. With more than 30 years of practical marketing experience in the public and private sectors, Ms. Lee has held numerous corporate marketing positions, including Vice President and Director of Marketing for Rainier Bank, Washington State’s second-largest bank, and Director of Marketing for Seattle Children’s Hospital.


She has consulted with more than 100 nonprofit organizations and has participated in the development of more than 200 social marketing campaign strategies for public sector agencies. Clients in the public sector include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington State Department of Health, Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, Department of Ecology, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington Traffic Safety Commission, County Health and Transportation Departments, and the City of Seattle and City of Mercer Island.


She has co-authored 17 books on Social Marketing, 13 with Philip Kotler, and has contributed numerous articles to professional journals including the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Social Marketing Quarterly, Journal of Social Marketing, and The Public Manager. Her most recent book is Reducing Gun Deaths & Injuries: A Social Marketing Approach (2023) Ethics Press.


She is a founder and past president of the Northwest Social Marketing Association (NSMA), and serves on the Board of the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA), as well as the Social Marketing Association of North America. (SMANA).

Ibid., p.3.  [1] CDC, “About Homelessness and Health” (October 2024), accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/homelessness-and-health/about/index.html

CDC, “About Homelessness and Health” (October 2024), accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/homelessness-and-health/about/index.html 

  1. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress” (December 2024), p.v., accessed at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf  ↩︎
  2. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, “HUD Notice CPD-14-012” (July 28, 2014), p.4.,  accessed at  https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/14-12cpdn.pdf ↩︎
  3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress” (December 2024), p.2., accessed at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf  ↩︎
  4. Ibid., p.3 ↩︎
  5. CDC, “About Homelessness and Health” (October 2024), accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/homelessness-and-health/about/index.html  ↩︎