Project developed and demoed during SacHacks Hackathon 2021
Social Sac is a web app dashboard for aggregation of data useful to the houseless of Sacramento.
Houselessness is more visible than ever in downtown Sacramento
People without housing are high consumers of public resources and generate expense, rather than income, for the community
People without shelter are vulnerable to the harsh weather, hunger, and poverty, they lack the safety that a roof provides them.
Stress and trauma of living without a home that leads to addiction and disease or makes it worse.
Many think that substance abuse and mental illness is a cause of houselessness, whereas it’s more of a result of houselessness.
5,570 individuals experience houselessness countywide on any given night – 1,670 individuals sheltered (30%) – 3,900 individuals unsheltered (70%) Majority of individuals interviewed indicate they are from the Sacramento area (93%).
Approximately 10,000 to 11,000 individuals experience houselessness annually.
ref: https://sacramentostepsforward.org/2019pitcount/
Social Sac provides a dashboard that aggregates data concerning weather forecasts and alerts, warm shelter availability and helpful info, COVID-19 vaccine information, and foodbanks/community refrigerators. On the back end, the tool uses custom web scraping helpers and scheduled tasks to obtain the most up-to-date info on shelter availability and weather, and maintains a SQL database of the associated info.
Connecting those in need with organizations providing help and a home is a key objective for us.
[Screenshot]
Social Sac is a Django (Python) web app that relies upon the Open Weather API, the Google Maps API, custom web scrapers and connectors built in Python to fetch data and maintain a dynamic dashboard.
The dashboard design is built on an AppSeed template utilizing Google Material Design libraries.
Houselessness is a complex issue for which there is no single cause or solution, and it is not an inherent fault of the individual. In Sacramento, similar to other communities, there are systemic factors contributing to homelessness. Connecting those in need with organizations providing help and a home. Our own community members live in tents and under bridges, vulnerable to inclement weather and violence, stripped of dignity and our collective respect. Let’s aim to support our society, create a healthier community, and make a difference!
There is some great room for improvement in this crisis; houselessness impacts all of us, whether or not we experience it ourselves. The goal is providing supportive services that include feeding the hungry, treating the sick, and providing access to education and jobs.
Meet the team! Nathan is a recent graduate of the UC Davis Cybersecurity Bootcamp, with certifications from CompTia Security+ and Splunk. Abdullah is an Electronics and Computer Engineer and is passionate for Project Management and Design. Drew is an Cybersecurity Specialist and a Teacher Assistant for the Cyber UC Davis Bootcamp. Together we were able to beat the pressure and come up with an innovative solution to reconnect the houseless with the Sac community.