Collaborative Research: The Des Moines Housing Study

Abstract

In collaboration with four community housing partners in the Des Moines area—Homeward, Habitat for Humanity, Anawim, and Home, Inc.—my course, “The Art of the Interview,” engaged in an iterative, community- and trauma-informed approach to interviewing people in unstable housing situations. Housing has increasingly become more unaffordable in Des Moines and across the country; in the wake of the pandemic, this issue must be understood locally as well within the national context to best address the impact of this social justice issue. Students in “The Art of the Interview” set out to ask people about their lived experiences with housing instability, analyze those experiences in a systematic way, and advocate with the community for change. This project is an example of community-based research that engages students in long-term change strategies. It is an example of changemaking that, with proper resources and alignment, could be scaled to achieve long-term collective impact. While one class cannot do that alone, this class is the first phase in creating a social innovation ecosystem at Drake to address the issue of affordable housing. Data from “The Art of the Interview” will continue to grow through continued research next semester. Additionally, it will be shared to inform discussions in a political science policy course next semester whose students propose new policy to Polk County Supervisors. It will inspire independent studies that turn the data into long-term advocacy and research agendas. And eventually it may provide a foundation for a partnership with the Entrepreneurship 101 where students would brainstorm innovative market driven solutions that do not yet exist to address the lived experiences of struggles with affordable housing. The possibilities are endless and exciting. This goes to show that practicing changemaking is something that spans modes and disciplines; we need the diverse perspectives and knowledge-making tools of every discipline involved in problem solving societal issues. In short, this project models the spirit of Drake’s inspiration statement: Together we transform lives and strengthen communities.