St. Bonaventure alumnus' work helps serve the marginalized

The service of a Franciscan ministry helped shape the education of a future expert in homelessness advocacy, providing valuable insights into the crisis and effective strategies to deal with its challenges. 

Dr. Dennis Culhane, ‘85, the Dana and Andrew Stone Chair in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, returned to his alma mater in April to discuss his research.   

Various entities rely on his research to determine how the housing and support needs of people experiencing housing emergencies and long-term homelessness can be more effectively addressed.   

In "Understanding Homelessness: A Conversation with Dr. Dennis Culhane," he covered his new research on using linked administrative data to understand how people arrive at various categories of homelessness – and to understand their unique needs.   

His research covers vulnerable populations, including youth, veterans and those aged 55 and older.   

St. Bonaventure President Dr. Jeff Gingerich and Vice President for Mission Integration Br. Stephen Mimnaugh, OFM, led a question-and-answer session after his presentation.   

While speaking about what leads people to become homeless, Dr. Culhane noted that unexpected life events impact individuals differently due to complex factors.   

“There have been case-control studies on those who become homeless and don’t become homeless from the same communities,” he said.    

“Mental health, substance abuse, education or criminality don’t distinguish them. Random events that strike like lightning do: an injury, a job loss, domestic violence, incarceration – all these things happen, but you don’t expect them to befall you necessarily.”   

These discoveries prompt action in cities like New York and Philadelphia. By categorizing homelessness as transitional, episodic or chronic, help can be tailored to remedy the specific hurdles to eliminating home insecurity and decrease the likelihood people will experience homelessness again. 

Watch video of the discussion here. 

The influence of the Franciscan spirit   

Dr. Culhane shared how the late Br. Dan Riley, OFM, the founder of Mt. Irenaeus, shaped his career. Dr. Culhane sought a more meaningful summer than a seasonal job at Kodak, and Br. Dan recommended volunteering at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, serving those affected by addiction and homelessness.   

Dr. Culhane's dissertation was inspired by his summer at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, where he observed the Franciscan service for the homeless. He spent eight weeks living anonymously within the homeless system and interviewed 45 people about their experiences.  

“I realized the perspectives I was learning from people living this issue were not being heard,” he said. “I had this incredible experience for a few years learning this perspective from people. How could I help give voice to that?”   

“It was a rich experience, only a sliver of which I used for the dissertation.”   

Dr. Culhane has a bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Bonaventure and a Ph. D. in social psychology from Boston College. He is also co-director of Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy. The AISP, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, intends to improve policies and practices in education, health, and human services agencies through integrated data systems.