Predictors of Exit and Reentry among Family Shelter Users in New York City

Abstract

This study explores the process of exit from and reentry to public family shelters for homeless families in New York City. A Cox proportional-hazards model was developed to identify the effects of demographic, family structure, reason for homelessness, an time-related variables on the hazard rates for different types of shelter discharge and shelter reentry. The study specifically explores the significance of type of housing placement as a predictor variable for shelter reentry. Various demographic and family structure attributes are linked with shelter exit and reentry, including race and ethnicity, family size, age of family head, pregnancy status, and public assistance recipiency status. Although there is a trade-off between length of shelter stay and type of housing placement at shelter discharge, procuring subsidized housing is associated with a substantially lower probability of shelter readmission. Policy implications of these findings and future directions for research on the dynamics of family homelessness are discussed. Randall I{uhn University oJ, PennsylvaniaThis study xplores the process of exit from and reentry to public family shelters for homeles families in New York City. A Cox proportional-hazards model was developed t identify the effects of demographic, family structure, reason for homelessness, an time-related variables on the hazard rates for different types of shelter discharge d shelter reentry. The study specifically explores the significance of type ofhous ng placement as a predictor variable for shelter reentry. Various demographic and family structure attributes are linked with shelter exit and reentry, including ra e and ethnicilty, family size, age of family head, pregnancy status, and public assisttce recipiency status. Although there is a trade-off between length of shelter stay nd type of housing placement at shelter discharge, procuring subsidized housing is a, sociated with a substantially lower probability of shelter readmission. Policy impli5ations ofthese findings and future directions for research on the dynamics of family Ihomelessness are discussed.i Despite th~profound implications of family homelessness on social policy, littl! information is available on the patterns of exiting and returning t homelessness among homeless families and the conditions and circum tances that may affect these residential transitions. Based (September 1997).

Exiting Shelter: An Epidemiological Analysis of Barriers and Facilitators for Families

“…The number of children can provide a barrier to exiting shelter because it can be challenging to find affordable housing with the bedrooms needed for large families. This finding is consistent with earlier research (Wong et al 1997). The results suggest that the number of adults in a household can act as a protective factor.…”

“…In addition, using shelters in this way likely extends unnecessarily the length of stays for families that may have relatively few barriers to exit (Culhane et al 2007). However, given the strong relationship between housing stability and having a subsidy (Wong et al 1997;Shinn et al 1998;Rog and Buckner 2007), the financial cost of an extended shelter stay may be offset by savings realized through reductions in the rates of future homeless episodes (Wong et al 1997). Despite this, study results suggest the need for strategies that provide early housing support to families.…”

“…Anecdotal evidence provided to the authors by shelter workers suggests that families remain in shelter, and are often believed to enter shelter in the first place, in order to obtain a housing subsidy. Prior studies report that policies in some locales require a family to have an extended shelter stay before they will grant the family a housing subsidy (Wong et al 1997). The wait for housing subsidies can be quite substantial, however, and the costs of using shelters as holding places are high; the system incurs monetary costs, and the family incurs instability.…”

“…In the few studies that examine residential stability, receipt of subsidies emerges as the most common factor in facilitating homeless families' stability (Stretch and Kreuger 1992;Wong, Culhane, and Kuhn 1997;Shinn et al 1998;Rog and Buckner 2007). Most studies find that race, ethnicity (Wong et al 1997), and family structure (i.e., families of young women who recently gave birth; Metraux and Culhane 1999) are correlated with risk for additional homeless episodes, but the results demonstrate mixed support of the relationship of stability with such other individual factors as depression, domestic violence, and substance abuse (Metraux and Culhane 1999;Bassuk, Perloff, and Dawson 2001;Rog and Buckner 2007).…”

Characteristics and Likelihood of Ongoing Homelessness Among Unsheltered Veterans

“…This is an important contribution as research conducted to date using longitudinal administrative homelessness data has been limited to individuals accessing emergency shelter; these studies have consistently found that only a small minority of persons in shelter on a given night stay in shelter for an extended period of time. [25][26][27][28] The low rate of positive rescreens …”