Rates Of Homelessness Research Articles

Housing instability amongst takatāpui and LGBTIQ+ people in Aotearoa New Zealand

AbstractAlthough awareness and understanding of LGBTIQ+ people's experiences of homelessness are rising, their broader housing experiences remain under‐researched. This paper uses qualitative interview data to explore takatāpui and LGBTIQ+ people's experiences of housing instability in Aotearoa New Zealand. In expanding the focus to housing instability, this paper explores how LGBTIQ+ people experience and navigate the housing system, which sheds light on the upstream factors that contribute to the disproportionately high rates of homelessness amongst LGBTIQ+ communities worldwide. A reflexive thematic analysis of the data generated four themes to takatāpui and LGBTIQ+ people's experiences of housing instability; personal experiences are political, survival within inequitable systems is nuanced, instability is relational, and selfhood is mediated through instability. These results highlight the impact of policy and structural failures on LGBTIQ+ communities.

Service Engagement Among People Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Disorders: A Call for Person-centred Innovations.

In recent years, there has been increased support for the use of coercive policies to address the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness among people with mental disorders in North America. Although these policy approaches respond to a critical issue, rising rates of unsheltered homelessness, low service engagement and concerns about disruptive behaviors in public settings, they are unlikely on their own to be successful. To avoid coercive practices, there is an urgent need to consider alternative, person-centred approaches to promote service engagement among people experiencing homelessness and mental disorders, with input from those with lived experience and frontline homeless service providers. Three person-centred approaches are proposed for consideration: (1) cross-sectoral service delivery models, (2) peer-led services, and (3) financial incentives. These approaches merit further study to support voluntary treatment engagement and exits from homelessness among people with mental and substance use disorders and safeguard the human rights of this population.

Socioeconomic and medical determinants of state-level subjective cognitive decline in the United States.

It is important to understand the socioeconomic and medical determinants of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at a population level in the United States. The primary outcomes are state-level rates of SCD and SCD-related functional impairment in adults aged ≥ 45, both measured in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2016 to 2022. The exposures are state-level rates of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, college education, racial and ethnic minorities, uninsurance, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity as well as household income and physician density. The strongest state-level associations with rates of SCD were the prevalence of diabetes (rho=0.64), hypertension (rho=0.59), and poverty (rho=0.58; all p<0.001), and with SCD-related functional impairment were prevalence of poverty (rho=0.71), diabetes (rho=0.68), and hypertension (rho=0.53; all p<0.001). This study highlights critical links between SCD and socioeconomic and medical determinants in adults aged ≥ 45 in the United States, including the prevalence of poverty, diabetes, and hypertension. State-level analysis reveals socioeconomic and medical risk factors for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at a population level. The prevalence of poverty is a critical contributor to the state-level prevalence of SCD. The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension are also strong state-level determinants of SCD. Addressing the burden of cognitive decline at the population level necessitates targeting socioeconomic and medical factors.

What makes transitional housing in Manitoba unsafe for transgender people?

Transgender people across Canada face high rates of housing insecurity and homelessness compared to people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Yet shelters and transitional housing meant to provide temporary places to stay do not always meet the needs of transgender people. This community-based study asked what can make transitional housing safer and more comfortable for transgender people, with a focus on the Westman region of Manitoba. In collaboration with YWCA Brandon, the first author interviewed nine service providers who work in housing organizations or in service provision for transgender people in Manitoba, to learn about good practices from their perspectives. In the process we learned about the factors that make transitional housing and shelters unsafe and unwelcoming for transgender people; these factors are the focus of this article. We highlight barriers to access to existing transitional housing, including the prevalence of faith-based shelters, gender segregation policies and practices, intake and referral procedures that create risks for transgender people, and insufficient training for organization leaders. These findings are relevant to shelter and transitional housing providers and to allies and advocates for the well-being of transgender people in Manitoba and beyond.

Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota

Objective and ApproachPrior research has found that experiences of homelessness are associated with an increased likelihood of child protection involvement, and vice-versa. However, it is not clear how involvement with the child welfare system may impact family housing stability during and after their involvement. The objective of this study was to more deeply understand the housing stability of families involved with child welfare over time. To examine this issue, we linked administrative data from Minnesota’s Homelessness Management Information System with social services data from the Department of Human Services (e.g., receipt of food support, childcare or housing assistance, child welfare), for families involved with child welfare in Minnesota between 2019 and 2021. ResultsApproximately a quarter of child welfare-involved families experienced homelessness during their involvement with the child welfare system. Rates of homelessness were similarly high in the two years prior to and following child welfare involvement. Although a large proportion of families experienced homelessness before and during their child welfare involvement, we saw no increase in the proportion of families receiving housing support after their involvement in the system. Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings indicate that involvement with the child welfare system and the resources provided through this involvement do not have a significant impact on family’s experiences of homelessness. This suggests the need for closer collaboration between the child welfare system and housing services to identify more effective solutions for housing instability among families within the child welfare system.

The Problematisation of Young People Within Existing Housing-Related Policy in Queensland

AbstractMore young people are experiencing homelessness and housing stress in Australia than ever before, with policy responses failing to address a current housing and cost-of-living crisis. Of particular concern when considering increasing rates of youth homelessness and housing stress is the absence of research examining existing policy. This research was undertaken in the Australian state of Queensland and contributes to addressing this gap in knowledge by utilising Carol Bacchi’s (2009) ‘What’s the Problem Represented to be?’ approach to policy analysis to examine three state policies, namely Towards Ending Homelessness for Young Queenslanders 2022–2027, the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017–2027, and the Queensland Youth Strategy. A range of discourses were found which position young people as lacking knowledge and skills to obtain housing. Emphasis is also placed on education, training, and employment as solutions to youth housing issues rather than a genuine focus on empowering young people through policy and practice initiatives. The findings of this research mirror existing discourses found in global conversations about youth homelessness and housing stress and contribute to a growing knowledge base around the importance of engaging young people in decision making within public policy and social reform.

Diverse Profiles of Homeless Young Adults: Implications for Tailored Prevention Strategies—Insights from Belgian Homelessness Counts

Young adults experiencing homelessness face multiple challenges and are often confronted with additional barriers stemming from adverse past experiences. Whereas youth homelessness rates appear to increase across Europe, our knowledge on its nature in Belgium remains limited. Based on recent local point-in-time counts on homelessness in Belgium (2020–2022) and a focus group (2022) to interpret these results, we examine the profiles of more than 2000 homeless young adults and distinguish between three distinct groups (youth care leavers, Belgians with no care history, and newcomers). Alongside the need for universal prevention, tailored interventions are crucial for each subgroup to address their unique needs.

Why some homeless individuals are unsheltered: A narrative review of self-reported reasons

The rising rate of unsheltered homelessness is a troubling and important public health issue. This narrative review sought to answer the question: What are the reasons that homeless individuals report for being unsheltered? To identify studies, systematic search methods were applied to PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO databases using the following eligibility criteria: English-written, peer-reviewed studies published from 2000 to 2023 that reported qualitative or quantitative data related to reasons why homeless individuals in a Western country were unsheltered. After duplicates were removed, 14,690 studies were screened and filtered to 10 final studies that fit all eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Eight of the 10 studies reported qualitative data from interviews and focus groups; the two quantitative studies reported data from interviewer-administered surveys. Across studies, eight thematic categories were identified as barriers to staying in shelters or other sheltered locations: lack of safety, triggers for substance use, strict shelter rules, triggers for substance use, perceived inadequate care, unsanitary conditions, required treatment to participate in housing program, no pet or family accommodations, and lack of accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Together, these findings indicate the delicate balance needed in homeless shelters to have both an inclusive/permissive and structured/safe environment for homeless individuals. Attention to the design and operation of homeless shelters, as well as staff training and accommodation for clients with special needs may improve some of these issues.

Homelessness: A Public Health Perspective on a Present Crisis

Addressing increasing rates of homelessness is a matter of great importance in North America due to adverse consequences on health, particularly in marginalized populations. Rates of homelessness as well as associated health issues in unhoused populations have continued to play a considerable role in countless communities. Therefore, to pursue solutions to the current crisis of homelessness from a public health perspective, this article seeks to place multiple proposals for solutions in conversation. This article contends that to effectively address homelessness from a public health perspective a multi-faceted approach must be implemented, led by a coalition of leaders from a variety of disciplines, comprehensively addressing homelessness, and supporting the unhoused.

Extended foster care and homelessness: Assessing the impact of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act on rates of homelessness among youth

Youth aging out of foster care experience high rates of homelessness during young adulthood. This study assessed the impact of states’ extension of foster care through age 21 under the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 on state-level rates of homelessness among all youth ages 18–24, which we used as a proxy to assess impact on the legislation’s target population. To do so, we leveraged data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Census Bureau and several other publicly available data sources to construct a novel state-level panel dataset that allowed us to capture changes in rates of homelessness among youth ages 18–24 and extended foster care policies in all 50 states for the eight-year period from 2013 to 2020. Employing a difference-in-difference approach, we found evidence of an anticipated lagged effect of extended foster care, wherein the implementation of extended foster care is associated with a 23 % reduction in the total rate of youth homelessness four years later. This effect persists in years five to six after states adopt this policy change. We found no evidence of a similar effect of extended foster care on rates of homelessness among persons not between the ages of 18–24. Our findings provide important evidence about the impact of the Fostering Connections Act and suggest that extending the age of foster care eligibility may create important safety nets and pathways that support a reduction in rates of homelessness among former foster youth.

Disproportionate Increases in Numbers and Rates of Homelessness Among Women in the United States, 2018-2022.

Information about homelessness among women is conflicting. We examined changes in the number and rate of various types of homelessness among females in multiple population groups from 2018 through 2022. We used 5 years of population data (2018-2022) from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We performed descriptive analyses to examine changes in rates of homelessness over time and differences in rates of homelessness between general and veteran populations. From 2018 through 2022, there were major increases in rates of unsheltered homelessness among females (25.1%) and males (17.3%) in the general population, which outpaced increases in general population birth rates. Although the percentage change in the proportion of females among all people experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 4.0%, the proportion of females among all veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 26.3%. These findings highlight the growing problem of unsheltered homelessness in the general population. Prevention efforts should be focused particularly on the female, especially veteran female, population.

Barriers to Escape: How Homelessness and Drug Addiction Prevent Women from Escaping Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sex

Victims of sex trafficking and women purportedly involved in prostitution volun-tarily face a complex web of interconnected challenges when attempting to escape their current circumstances. By analyzing the shared and distinct challenges faced by these women, the paper aims to inform policymakers and service providers, offering recommendations to empower women seeking to escape exploitation through multi-disciplinary and interconnected networks of providers. This study surveyed 74 wom-en in Detroit, Michigan, using nonprobability convenience sampling over a 10-month period in 2020. It compared three groups of women who self-reported as victims of sex trafficking, women who voluntarily engaged in some form of commercial sex, and women currently not in the sex industry. The study examined five outcome dimen-sions: substance use, housing stability, violence, interactions with law enforcement, and healthcare barriers. Among surveyed women, 45 reported sex trafficking experi-ences, 20 engaged in prostitution voluntarily, and nine were currently neither traf-ficked nor in prostitution. While some experiences were shared, like drug use and child presence, unique challenges emerged for sex trafficking victims. Victims of sex traffick-ing reported higher rates of homelessness, violence, lower education, and poorer health compared to others. However, those who were trafficked and those who report-ed being voluntarily involved in the sex trade had many similar problems. The survey highlights the interconnected barriers faced by women in sex trafficking or prostitu-tion: substance abuse, homelessness, and health problems. All three groups of women reported having children, which underscores the great need for support systems for families of trafficking survivors or those in the sex industry. Educating professionals and raising awareness can enhance responses and interventions, enabling more women to design exit strategies and begin the path to recovery.

The Effect of Homelessness on Management of Menstruation and Dysmenorrhea in Pomona, California [ID 2683481

INTRODUCTION: Given the challenges to menstrual hygiene many women face and the high rate of homelessness in Pomona, California, we suspected women without housing would have increased difficulty managing their menstrual hygiene and dysmenorrhea primarily due to resource inaccessibility. METHODS: After IRB approval and beta testing, we partnered with local homeless shelters and a student-run clinic to screen for eligible participants, obtain verbal consent, and conduct anonymous interviews. Each interview lasted 15 minutes with 26 questions spanning demographics, menstrual hygiene and dysmenorrhea management, and history of homelessness. RESULTS: Analysis of 50 surveys (96% response rate) revealed that 37% of participants reportedly relied on shelter pantries for access to menstrual hygiene products, 27% of participants admitted to stealing their preferred products, and almost 10% of participants reported resorting to using alternate methods such as free bleeding and old clothes to catch their menstrual flow. For management of dysmenorrhea-associated painful cramping, 96% of participants reported preferring medication management but not having access to it when homeless so instead their only option was to “just deal with it” (60%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study illuminate the gap in existing literature regarding the specific struggles that homeless people face when managing their menstrual hygiene and dysmenorrhea. The discrepancies in management of hygiene and pain when housed versus unhoused come down to lack of access to essential resources. Shelter pantries do not have enough funding to effectively support the size and demand of the growing menstruating homeless population.

A descriptive study of domestic and family violence presentations to an emergency department in the Northern Territory.

Examine the nature of domestic and family violence (DFV) presentations to an ED in the Northern Territory and identify potential gaps in service delivery. Prospective descriptive study of DFV presentations in November 2021. A total of 70 presentations were identified, representing 1.2% of all presentations aged 16 years and older. Disproportionately impacted were First Nations people (90%), women (77.1%) and those aged less than 40 years (67.1%). Most (81.4%) arrived outside of business hours and only 37.1% were assessed by the social worker. Case complexity was increased by high rates of homelessness (30%), concurrent alcohol consumption (44.3%) and pregnancy (11.1% of females). More than a third (37.1%) had attended on one to four occasions in the previous 6 months with a DFV-related injury. Compared to non-DFV attendances, the median ED length of stay was approximately twice as long (456 vs 210 min), admissions rates to the ED short stay unit five times higher (25.7% vs 5.7%; P < 0.01, odds ratio [OR] = 5.7 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.3-9.8) and rates of self-discharge prior to completion of care 9 times higher (12.9% vs 1.5%; P < 0.01, OR = 9.5 and 95% CI = 4.6-19.7). The data highlights the need for a 24 h trauma-informed, culturally safe and integrated service to support people experiencing DFV. This could be achieved by a specialist unit designed and staffed by First Nations health practitioners.

Enhancing Workplace Inclusivity for TGNC (Transgender/Nonconforming) Communities: “A Path to Psychological-Safety”

Discrimination against transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals remains apervasive issue, significantly impacting their psychological safety and overall well-being. This marginalisedcommunity faces an array of challenges, including experiencing homelessness, poverty, and harassment, whichare interconnected and, to a considerable extent, a consequence of systemic discrimination. Studies by Tebbeet al. (2019) reveal that the TGNC community grapples with disproportionately high rates of homelessness,poverty, and harassment, thus highlighting the systemic nature of the challenges they confront. Workplacediscrimination within the TGNC community extends across a spectrum, impacting individuals’ authenticity andpotential for forced engagement in underground economy work to offset poverty, including survival sex workand drug dealing (Par &amp;amp; Howe, 2020). Workplace discrimination is a pivotal determinant of psychological safety and well-being for TGNC individuals.Frazier et al. (2017) emphasise the critical importance of preventing discrimination and conflict in theworkplace, which contributes to negative mental health outcomes. The consequences of discrimination areprofound. A significant portion of the TGNC community reports a history of suicidal ideation, ranging from 45%to 77% (Testa et al., 2017). Promoting psychological safety and well-being for this marginalised community isnot only a moral imperative, but also a pathway to fostering more prosperous and inclusive societies. Thisresearch utilises a qualitative methodology, through semi-structured interviews among diverse genderidentities. By exploring the lived experiences of TGNC individuals in the workplace, this study uncovers theimpact of discrimination on psychological well-being. The results of the findings demonstrate how to improvethe psychological-safety of gender-diverse communities through

"Death Is a Possibility for Those without Shelter": A Thematic Analysis of News Coverage on Homelessness and the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada.

Among the most vulnerable to the health-harming effects of heat are people experiencing homelessness. However, during the 2021 Heat Dome, the deadliest extreme heat event (EHE) recorded in Canada to date, people experiencing homelessness represented the smallest proportion of decedents (n = 3, 0.5%)-despite the impacted region (British Columbia) having some of the highest rates of homelessness in the country. Thus, we sought to explore the 2021 Heat Dome as a media-based case study to identify potential actions or targeted strategies that were initiated by community support agencies, individuals and groups, and communicated in the news during this EHE that may have aided in the protection of this group or helped minimize the mortality impacts. Using media articles collated for a more extensive investigation into the effects of the 2021 Heat Dome (n = 2909), we identified a subset which included content on people experiencing homelessness in Canada (n = 274, 9%). These articles were thematically analysed using NVivo. Three main themes were identified: (i) public warnings issued during the 2021 Heat Dome directly addressed people experiencing homelessness, (ii) community support services explicitly targeting this population were activated during the heat event, and (iii) challenges and barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness during extreme heat were communicated. These findings suggest that mass-media messaging and dedicated on-the-ground initiatives led by various organizations explicitly initiated to support individuals experiencing homelessness during the 2021 Heat Dome may have assisted in limiting the harmful impacts of the heat on this community.

Local rental market dynamics and homelessness rates among unaccompanied youths, single adults, and people in families

ABSTRACT This study examines how local rental market factors differentially influence community-level homelessness rates among unaccompanied youths, single adults, and people in families with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time estimates in January 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. The results from seemingly unrelated regressions for 270 metropolitan Continua of Care suggest that higher community-level rental vacancy rates were associated with lower homelessness rates among people in families but not among single adults and unaccompanied youths. Further, higher community-level crowded rates in rental units were associated with higher homelessness rates among single adults and unaccompanied youths but not among people in families. These findings suggest the differential association between rental market dynamics and homelessness among the homeless subgroups should inform subgroup-specific policy interventions and investment strategies.

Stratification of Urban Health Centers of Khorramabad Based on Socioeconomic Status of Households Using Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis

Background: In numerous studies in the field of medical sciences, researchers use health centers as a frame for stratified sampling. Since socioeconomic variables play a major role in health outcomes, the present study aimed to classify urban health centers of Khorramabad in terms of the socioeconomic status of households using factor and cluster analysis. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the statistical population included all urban areas of Khorramabad based on the population and housing census conducted by the Statistical Center of Iran. Firstly, the scatter maps of urban areas and health centers were adopted together. Thereafter, socioeconomic indexes of urban areas were calculated in seven fields, and exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce dimensions. Finally, the similar health centers in terms of factor scores were allocated to the same clusters by k-means cluster analysis using SPSS software (version 26) and were displayed on city maps using Arc GIS software. Results: Three factors identified in factor analysis explained about 73.3% of the total variance of socioeconomic indexes. Based on cluster analysis, 11 health centers were located in cluster 1 (related to lower educational attainment, poorer housing amenities, and higher rate of homelessness and divorce), 16 centers were located in cluster 2 (related to higher studying persons rate, lower marriage rate in women, lower unemployment rate, and higher residence in apartment flats) and 10 health centers were located in cluster 3 (related to higher academic graduates, more profitable jobs, and better housing amenities). Conclusion: The results of this research can be used in health studies in urban areas of Khorramabad as a basis for performing stratified sampling. Furthermore, it is recommended that authorities adopt more effective planning to improve deprived areas in cluster one.

Comparison of male and female non-refugee immigrants with psychosis: clinical, sociodemographic, and migration-related differences and impact on stress.

To compare social, clinical, and migration-related factors between male and female immigrants with psychotic disorders and to determine the association between these variables and stress in the last year. We administered the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale to evaluate psychological stress in 99 non-refugee immigrants (26 women, 73 men) who presented ≥ one psychotic episode (ICD-10 criteria). We compared the two groups in terms of sociodemographic, clinical, cultural, and migration-related variables. A multivariable analysis using a linear regression model (stepwise method) was performed to evaluate potential associations between these variables and stress. Women were more likely to be married and divorced, had less access to welfare payments, and lower unemployment and homeless rates than men. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was psychosis not otherwise specified with more women being affected (61.5% in women vs. 45.2% in men), but the diagnosis of schizophrenia was more common in men (38.4% vs 15.4%). Both groups exhibited very high levels of stress in the past year (mean total distress score > 300). In women, stress was significantly associated with age at first migration and be a racialized person. By contrast, among men stress was significantly associated with language barrier and comorbidity with a physical disorder. The results of this study reveal important differences between men and women immigrants. These findings underscore the importance of understanding how gender-specific roles and social expectations intersect with the timing and nature of migration to influence stress levels differently in immigrant women and men with psychotic disorders.

Community-Level Relationships Between Homelessness and Crime in Finland

Evidence from several countries indicates that homeless persons, particularly those with a mental illness, are at increased risk of offending and victimization. However, there has been little community-level analysis of the relationship between homelessness and crime rates. In this study, we discuss the criminogenic consequences of homelessness and then use panel data from 261 municipalities over a 21-year period (2000–2020) in Finland to examine how homelessness is related to different types of criminal offenses. Results from random and fixed-effects equations indicate that, net of common covariates, rates of homelessness are associated with increased rates of violent crime, property crime, and public intoxication offenses. The findings suggest that, in addition to mental health treatment, efforts to reduce homelessness enhance community safety.