First Advisor

June Ryu

Date of Award

Spring 6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business: Management and Leadership and University Honors

Department

Business Administration

Language

English

Subjects

Business, Homeless, Perception, Affect

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between business owners and individuals experiencing homelessness within urban commercial districts in the United States, arguing that the dynamic is shaped primarily by spatial concentration, uneven power structures, economic pressure, and public framing rather than simple conflict between competing interests. Drawing on stakeholder analysis, business perception surveys, a mixed-methods study, and an original content analysis of 50 news articles spanning 23 states, this thesis identifies a consistent pattern: business owners broadly perceive homeless presence as negatively impacting safety, cleanliness, and consumer behavior. Local news media reinforces those perceptions through predominantly negative framing of homeless individuals. An analysis of the two most common claims, that homeless presence increases crime and degrades sanitation, finds that while the conditions described are real and documented, the causal relationship between homeless presence and those conditions is considerably more complex than dominant framing suggests. In both cases, the available evidence identifies the homeless population itself as bearing a disproportionate share of the risk and burden within shared commercial spaces. The thesis concludes by examining pathways toward less adversarial outcomes, including employment-based engagement, Housing First policy interventions, and more contextually grounded media coverage, while situating primary responsibility for structural change with city and county governments as the stakeholders holding the greatest formal power to address the conditions underlying this dynamic.

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