Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Political Science

Additional Departmental Affiliation

Economics

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Though the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky has experienced tremendous economic growth in recent years, poverty and homelessness have become a problem for residents and city officials. This project seeks to expand research on homelessness in Bowling Green, Kentucky in order to prescribe policies that could be enacted by local government entities. Construction of low-income housing, rent subsidies, rent ceilings, and tougher eviction laws are all policy measures that have been discussed by previous literature. To analyze the effectiveness of these four policies, this project proposes a regression model that explores the relationship between the homeless population and each of these measures. Next, the project uses Mind Genomics™ techniques developed by Dr. Howard Moskowitz to examine constituent preferences in housing policy in Bowling Green. The conclusion takes the findings of these two sections and proposes two actions be taken by the Bowling Green City Commission. Results suggest that to address the problem of homelessness, the City Commission could expand rent subsidies to low-income families and hold public forums to discuss changes to laws surrounding evictions. This project represents one of the first pieces of research focused on homelessness in Bowling Green, as well as one of the first uses of Mind Genomics™ experimental methods in political science.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Joel Turner, Ph.D.

Disciplines

Economics | Political Science

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