Defining Homelessness in the Rural United States

Yousey, Amelia; Samudra, Rhucha

doi:10.4148/1936-0487.1094

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The small group of individuals known to police and community leaders were highly visible in the community but did not represent this range of individuals struggling with access to a suitable shelter. This is consistent with a growing body of literature demonstrating the most consistent feature of rural homelessness is its invisibility (Carpenter‐Song et al., 2016; Gibbons et al., 2019; Kauppi et al., 2017; MacDonald & Gaulin, 2019; Waegemakers Schiff et al., 2016; Yousey & Samudra, 2018). The lack of infrastructure in a rural setting, including shelters and warming centres, means many people facing homelessness rely on informal networks and strategies that hide them from public view.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Competing perspectives on rural homelessness: Findings from a qualitative study in Ontario, Canada

Buck-McFadyen

2021

Health Social Care Comm

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Rural homelessness in Canada has only recently been acknowledged, and several gaps remain in our understanding of the phenomenon and how it is influenced by the rural context. This qualitative exploratory study aimed to help understand the experience of housing insecurity, factors that lead to rural homelessness, and potential solutions to the housing crisis in a rural Ontario community. Interviews were conducted with 27 participants: 16 individuals who were housing insecure and 11 key informants who had knowledge of the local homelessness situation. Data collection took place between August 2020 and May 2021 and inductive analysis was concurrent. Findings revealed competing perspectives on the magnitude of the crisis, its root causes, and potential solutions to rural homelessness. The invisible nature of rural homelessness and values of individualism that assign responsibility for homelessness to poor choices rather than structural factors may account for these different perspectives. Stigma also played an important role in how homelessness was understood, particularly for individuals who were homeless and perceived to be using substances. The lack of privacy, limited services, and low housing stock in the rural environment contributed to challenges with overcoming homelessness. Strategies to help improve supports for individuals facing homelessness include anti‐stigma education, capacity building, and inclusion of people with lived experience of homelessness in decision and policymaking. Prevention should also be incorporated into the response to rural homelessness through intersectoral collaboration and upstream policies that target the structural drivers of homelessness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Competing perspectives on rural homelessness: Findings from a qualitative study in Ontario, Canada

Buck-McFadyen

2021

Health Social Care Comm

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“…But social connectedness and access to social opportunities in rural communities look different from those experienced in urban settings. Though the United States is an increasingly urban-centric society, rural communities encompass more than 70% of the country (United States Census Bureau, 2019; Yousey & Samudra, 2018). If relationships between people are reciprocal and dynamic, it stands to reason that people living in rural communities may have less opportunity for general well-being because they experience decreased access to resources and opportunities for social interaction (Fleisch Marcus et al, 2017).…”

Section: Rural Poverty Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, Weeks (2018) found that people living in rural areas in the United States have experienced a decline in life expectancy compared to the general positive trend in national life expectancy. This trend may indicate that rural issues impact wellbeing, leading to an increase in social isolation, lack of access to healthcare, food insecurity, transportation challenges (Weirich & Benson, 2019), housing inadequacy (Yousey & Samudra, 2018), as well as poor health behaviors and attitudes, higher smoking rates, mental health stigma (Weeks, 2018) and the ongoing opioid epidemic.…”

Section: Rural Poverty Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paper trails: Using letter writing to understand social isolation and poverty in a rural community

Frank

Granruth

Girvin

et al. 2021

Journal of Social Work

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Summary Letter writing was used as a qualitative research strategy to access the narratives of individuals living in rural poverty. Undergraduate social work students in a freshman seminar course were paired with participants of a local agency to engage in a letter writing exchange about life experiences. Community members who volunteered to participate in the letter-writing exchange were identified via their participation in services offered by a local, community-based agency that is situated in a rural community. In the fall of 2018, a sample of 20 community members and 28 students participated in two rounds of letter exchange. Findings The letter-writing exchange was an effective way to collect data. The content of the letters enhanced students’ understanding of the daily experiences of individuals living in rural poverty. Data collected demonstrated that social isolation remains a central concern among poor, rural residents. Letter writing supported a sense of personal connection between students and community members; these social connections may have attenuated the pain of social isolation that many community members experience. Applications Narrative inquiry and the use of letter writing as a research methodology allowed us access to greater understanding about the lived experience of rural poverty. People living in rural poverty experience a layered isolation that keeps them separate from resources and each other. Letter writing provided connection and rich data that enhanced our understanding of this community.

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“…Studies indicate that people living in rural places are 2.3 times more likely to suffer from homelessness-related difficulties than their counterparts in urban locations (Rollinson & Pardeck, 2018). Additionally, rural homelessness is more prevalent in agricultural areas whose economies depend on declining extractive industries such as fishing, mining, or timber (Yousey & Samudra, 2018). Rural homelessness is further amplified by the more extended periods of unemployment, low wages, and fewer job opportunities (Fitzpatrick, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of Homelessness in United States of America: Policy Implications

2023

IAGS

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This study analyzed the perceived causes of homelessness in United States of America, characteristics of homelessness in United States of America by family types, percentage of people experiencing homelessness by community setting to assist policymakers to develop programs and policy frameworks to address homeless issues across the country (USA). Homelessness affects the entire country. Homelessness is not someone else's issue but national in scope. The issue of homelessness has a ripple effect throughout the community. It impacts the availability of healthcare resources, crime and safety, the workforce, and the use of tax dollars. Further, homelessness impacts the present as well as the future growth of the nation. Above all, the knowledge of homelessness benefits all of us to break the cycle of homelessness, one person, one family at a time. Therefore, in order to assist policymakers to effectively tackle the issue of homelessness, the study adopted a descriptive research design to analyze the policy issue of homelessness in United States of America. The data source for the study analysis came from the 2021 Census data, the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Alliance to END HOMELESSNESS. The study revealed that most of the homeless peoples were individuals without families and children (i.e. 70 percent), and the rest were people living in families with children. Also, the study further revealed in the homelessness dataset that males are far more likely to experience homelessness than their female counterparts. That is, out of every 10,000 males, 22 are homeless (representing a total male homeless population of 352,211), while for women and girls, that number is 13 homeless (representing a total female homeless population of 223,578). In addition, the homelessness historical data revealed that marginalized groups are more likely to be disadvantaged within housing and homelessness spheres. It also revealed that higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, less access to healthcare, and higher incarceration rates are some of the likely factors that contribute to higher rates of homelessness among people of color, and marginalized groups. Also, historically marginalized racial groups are far more likely to experience homelessness as a result of segregation and discrimination in employment and housing, among other things. The study strongly recommends that the federal government should create more programs and employment opportunities that will give equal opportunities to all. The study further recommends that by taking into consideration programs that will create more affordable houses, and to also take care of both natural shocks (i.e. hurricanes, fire outbreaks, etc.), and human shocks (i.e. domestic abuse) will go a long way to help the country minimize the homelessness rate.

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Defining Homelessness in the Rural United States

Cited by 15 publications

References 29 publications

Competing perspectives on rural homelessness: Findings from a qualitative study in Ontario, Canada

Competing perspectives on rural homelessness: Findings from a qualitative study in Ontario, Canada

Paper trails: Using letter writing to understand social isolation and poverty in a rural community

An Analysis of Homelessness in United States of America: Policy Implications

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