7A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Homeless in Key West, Florida

Opportunity:

• There is a large amount of homeless people in Key West who are unable to afford housing because of the high cost of real estate in Key West.

• The who: People who are unable to afford housing in Key West.
• The what: These people become homeless and cannot bounce back.
• The why: The island has a very limited amount of real estate, causing real estate to be very expensive. 

•  Testing the who: Key West is a tourist driven tropical town and is known around the world. Around 25,000 people live on the 2 x 1 mile island. As such, it's very expensive to live in the Southernmost Point. For one person to rent a studio in Key West, they should be making at least $65k per year. (http://www.fla-keysappraisals.com) Considering this is more than the average salary in the US, it's very hard to live in Key West.

• Testing the what: People across the globe suffer from being homeless. It's a serious problem in poverty-ridden countries as well as wealthy countries. There is a myriad of organizations that plan to rid of homelessness across the world. However similar to world hunger, it's a large task to accomplish.

• Testing the why: Most people do not make enough money to afford housing in Key West. Also, the amount of affordable housing in Key West is very limited due to the overpopulation of the island. Thus, many have no choice but to live on the streets. 

Interview 1):

• Firstly, I interviewed my mom. Her and my dad are state certified real estate appraisers and have worked in Key West for more than 20 years. She also agreed in that it is very expensive to live in Key West. My mom told me that the homeless haven't been taken care of because of differing opinions of how "resources are to be spent." Nonetheless, the homeless exist and it needs to be fixed.

Interview 2):

• Next, I interviewed a girl from my high school. She also said it's very expensive to live in Key West. "People usually have to work two jobs to make ends meet." She also agreed that homeless were a problem. "Driving to school every morning I see large groups of homeless citizens." Furthermore, she also believes that the local government should do something about the amount of homeless in the city.

Interview 3):

• I interviewed another student from my old high school. She also agreed that Key West is expensive, and there is a substantial amount of homeless in the city. This student said, "there are efforts to help the homeless like soup kitchens, we could step it up." She said that there could be improvements made in the affordable housing neighborhoods, as well as public washrooms so they could care for their hygiene. She also brought up that only so much can be done because of the limited amount of space on the island. 

Interview 4):

• Next, I interviewed a college friend who lived in Key West with me, he said that the cost of living is indeed expensive and increases every year. Also, that there is a large amount of homeless on the island and not a lot is done to help them. He said opportunities should be given to help the homeless get back on their feet, such as unskilled jobs. 

Interview 5):

• Finally, I interviewed one of my best friends from Key West who attends Santa Fe College. He also agreed in that it is very expensive to live in Key West because of its location and atmosphere. Furthermore, he stated, " Rent for store-fronts is consistently rising, pushing out family-owned businesses. The island is being bought out by big companies, there are currently 4 CVS's on the island." Also, he said that there are programs to help the homeless, yet they cannot escape the poverty.

Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't before?

• Whilst interviewing everyone, it was interesting to see how everyone believed that it is incredibly expensive to live in Key West. Many of them thought having two jobs was the norm!
• For the most part, the interviewees agreed with me, in that Key West has a homeless problem that needs addressing. It was interesting to see how my mom, an adult who has lived there for 20+ years, as well as normal students noticed this problem and recognize that it is very hard to live in Key West.
• The interviewees all agreed that something should be done for the homeless. Whether it's programs to help homeless people get jobs, or affordable housing.