Homelessness amongst drug users: a double jeopardy explored

Abstract

Homelessness amongst drug users is a serious cause for concern that is increasingly generating research in the UK and elsewhere. Despite this, in-depth qualitative information about the dual jeopardy of being both homeless and a drug user is limited and strategies for dealing with the problem remain uncertain. The aim of this paper is to add to existing knowledge by providing a detailed analysis of drug users’ own accounts of being without a home. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with 200 drug users living in Scotland. This information was analysed using a method known as ‘Framework’ ( Ritchie and Spencer, 1994). Seven themes emerged from the data and were explored in detail. These were childhood housing circumstances; reasons for homelessness; experiences of emergency accommodation; accounts of rough sleeping; life-threatening behaviour; difficulties gaining access to treatment drugs; and housing aspirations. To conclude, some implications of the findings for policy and practice are reported.