Fallacies of the American Welfare State: The Enduring Response of Community- and Faith-Based Organizations—Homeless Shelters and Relief Services in New York City During the 1920s and 1990s

Author: Deirdre A. Oakley

Dissertation School: State University of New York at Albany

Abstract:

The purpose of this dissertation is to fill some of the current knowledge gap concerning the role of faith- and community-based organizations in housing and community development by conducting an empirical study. Using New York City as the study area, this dissertation will investigate the organization, institutional capacity, neighborhood context, and associations with related community institutions of faith- and community-based organizations providing temporary and permanent housing for low-income individuals in the 1920s and the 1990s.

To accomplish these objectives, data sources to be utilized are: Charity Organization Society Director of Social Agencies of New York, 1926; Charity Organization Society Directory of Churches, 1922; Official Directory for the City of New York, 1920; United Way CARES Directory, 2000; Directory of Churches, Synagogues, and Other Houses of Worship, 1994; New York City Department of Planning Selected Facilities and Program Sites, 1999; and Census data for 1920, 1990, and 2000.

The research methodology is divided into three distinct types of analyses: (1) processed-based evaluation, (2) spatial analysis, and (3) estimation of a series of neighborhood binomial logistic regression models. The processed-based evaluation comprises the most involved portion of the proposed study. An extensive document review of annual reports, memorandums, and other agency documentation from a select group of faith- and community-based organizations providing housing in the 1920s and 1990s will be conducted. This information will be assessed along four key domains: (1) government-community organizational arrangement, (2) mission and institutional capacity, (3) services provided, and (4) associations with other community service agencies and churches. The spatial analysis will examine the spatial associations between faith- and community-based organizations and other related community institutions such as churches and community centers.

The underlying assumption here is that close proximity is one indicator that informal collaboration or systems of resource exchange are already in place. By estimating a series of logical regression models using presence of community-based housing organization as the dependent variable, the objective is to assess how well areas where these organizations are located fit Shaw and McKay's (1942) classic social disorganization model, as well as the extent to which they are associated with the presence of community institutions, and low levels of homeownership. If the neighborhoods were to fit the model, it would be an indication that these places have a weak institutional base.

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