On Thursday, May 23, 2013 the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will present a webinar on emerging issues associated with homeless populations that reside on public lands.  Featuring the research of Ellen M. Bassett, University of Virginia, and Portland State University’s Andrée Tremoulet and graduate student Allison Moe, as well as discussion by other key FHWA stakeholders, the webinar seeks to reflect the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of these issues.

According to Tremoulet, this research began when the Oregon Department of Transportation “sought to understand and document the successful human relocation of homeless families from a longstanding homeless community at the Baldock Rest Area near Wilsonville, OR.” The project expanded to a national scope, resulting in a best practices guide and a case study of the Baldock Restoration Project.  After a chance meeting between Tremoulet and FHWA community planner Sharlene Reed at a workshop last year, an idea for a webinar on the topic took shape. According to the FHWA website, the webinar is designed “to highlight practical approaches for holistically addressing the challenges posed by transient populations residing on or adjacent to public land and transportation facilities.”

More information and registration for the webinar are at https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=26027