Utilization of community-based services among homeless persons: An application of a theoretical model

Abstract

Data from a longitudinal study of 379 homeless adults were analyzed to document the pattern of use of community-based social services and to identify the correlates of service use. The analytical framework employed was the Andersen model, adapted to take into consideration the life circumstances of homeless people in a demographically diverse setting. The relevance of predisposing, enabling, and need factors in predicting service use and type of assistance received was examined using multinomial logistic regression models. The study found that a significant portion of the homeless sample did not use social services and that among service users, most reported receipt of concrete services only. Our analyses suggest that there is a need for service providers to target their programs and interventions to the underserved and hard-to-reach segments of the adult homeless population including males, non-Whites, street users, episodically homeless people, and individuals experiencing alcohol problems. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.