Homelessness and the Mobile Shelter System: Public Transportation as Shelter

Abstract

Those without housing often use public space differently than those who are housed. This can cause dilemmas for and conflicts among public officials as guardians of public space and goods. In this paper, we look at one such utilisation of space from the perspective of those who board 24-hour public transportation routes and ride the bus all night for shelter. We describe the results of a preliminary survey, observations and informal conversations with unhoused riders on the bus over three nights in one county in the United States. We found that a substantial number of the unhoused riders we surveyed used the bus as their main form of night-time shelter throughout the year, and that some have ridden the bus for shelter for many years. Men were more likely to say that they used the bus to sleep, while women rode the bus for safety. While some unhoused riders also utilised shelters or did not know about other shelter options, many actively choose the bus over emergency shelters. The potential implications of the study for service providers, researchers and policy-makers are addressed.

Intimate Relationships as Routes into and out of Homelessness: Insights from a Canadian City

“…Also, because of multiple claims made about needing a clearer understanding of the gendered context of homelessness, research has sought to explore the specific risk factors to homelessness that are unique to males and those unique to females (Zugazaga, 2008), or particular behaviours of homeless men and those of homeless women (Nichols and Ca'Zares, 2006). That research has led to useful suggestions for social policy and social programming.…”

Combatting Social Exclusion: “Safe Space” and the Dynamics of Inclusion at a Homeless Farming Site

“…In a study of 974 women who were homeless in Los Angeles County, one-third reported being kicked, bitten, hit with a fist or an object, choked, beaten, burned, or threatened or harmed with a gun in the past 12 months (Wenzel, Leake, & Gelberg, 2001). Women who are unhoused adopt a range of strategies to try to keep safe including riding public transportation overnight (Nichols & Cazares, 2011), isolating themselves from others, seeking male protectors or companions, wearing baggy clothes to downplay their bodies, and trying to appear tough (Huey & Berndt, 2008;Stevenson & Neale, 2012). Although the farm offered at least some protection to those who slept or stored their belongings nearby, great risk remained.…”

Social desire paths: a new theoretical concept to increase the usability of social science research in society

“…The study was initiated as part of an undergraduate class I was teaching on Applied Sociology. Eleven students and I undertook the data collection, spending three nights riding the bus and talking to and collecting standardized data from riders who identified as homeless (Nichols 2011). In talking to riders, I came to recognize the use of the bus for shelter as an example of a social desire path at work (Nichols 2014).…”

“…Transportation officials were frustrated that persons choose to ride the bus rather than go to emergency shelters and asked homeless service providers to fix "the problem". The study involved spending nights on the bus talking to and collecting survey data from riders who identified as homeless (Nichols and Cázares 2011;Nichols, Cázares, and Rodriguez 2012).…”