Sara Brallier, Ph.D., and Stephanie Southworth, Ph.D., professor and assistant professor, respectively, in the Department of Sociology at Coastal Carolina University, have co-authored a book based on their six years of research on homelessness in Horry County, S.C. The book, titled “Homelessness in the 21st Century: Living the Impossible American Dream,” uses data from more than 250 interviews and field notes and identifies barriers including a lack of affordable housing, the stigmatization of homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare and gainful employment, and difficulty accessing available social services.

“We are so grateful to the 250 people experiencing homelessness who were willing to share their stories with us,” said Southworth and Brallier. “They told us about the numerous structural barriers they encounter – lack of affordable housing and living wage jobs, inability to access mental and physical healthcare, inadequate public transportation, and the criminalization of homelessness. We hope that we highlighted their experiences in such a way that it will provide the framework for meaningful social change.”

The faculty members are also co-founders of The Poverty Project, where they engage their students in activist research through field experience and interaction with impoverished populations in Horry County.