Social Service Barriers Experienced by Low-Income Extended-Stay Hotel Residents

Abstract

this article presents findings from a qualitative study of 14 individuals residing in extended-stay hotels after housing displacement. Framed in ecosystems and structuration theory, the purpose of this study was to understand social service barriers experienced by help-seeking residents. participants were engaged in in-depth interviews and asked about challenges faced when they reached out for assistance to prepare for stable housing. reported barriers Terri Lewinson, phD, lmsW, assistant professor, school of social Work, Georgia state University.

Accessing Faith-Based Organizations Using Public Transportation: A Qualitative and GIS Study

“…Participant eligibility in these earlier studies included a 1-month residency in a hotel without alternative housing, age 18 years or older, and low-income (under US$32,000 annually in a community where the median area income is US$62,000 annually). Additional recruitment procedures and findings are published elsewhere (Lewinson, 2010a; Lewinson, 2010b; Lewinson, Hopps, & Reeves, 2010; Lewinson & Collard, 2012). From this composite dataset, interview transcripts were selected for analysis in this current study.…”

“…In the face of housing–health struggles, older adults also report institutional barriers when seeking help from social service organizations, such as cumbersome application processes, negative interactions with service personnel, and insufficient or inappropriate resources (Lewinson & Collard, 2012). Faith-based resources are considered helpful by budget hotel residents who live in suburban communities and cope with housing and health concerns (Lewinson & Hurt, 2014).…”

Lost in Limbo: An Exploratory Study of Homeless Mothers' Experiences and Needs at Emergency Assistance Hotels

“…Although research on EA hotels is scarce, a useful starting point comes from a series of qualitative studies on low-income families paying out of pocket to live in extended-stay motels (Lewinson, 2010(Lewinson, , 2011Lewinson & Collard, 2012;Lewinson, Hopps, & Reeves, 2010). Participants reported feeling secluded, closed-in, and trapped (Lewinson, 2010;Lewinson et al, 2010); however, there were positive aspects such as family independence, housekeeping, courteous staff, and ability to decorate the room (Lewinson, 2011).…”

Care networks in play: Understanding death of a parent as a contributing factor to homelessness

“…Individuals experiencing homelessness also have limited access to needed resources and services such as medical attention, stable income, mental health or substance abuse treatment, and other basic necessities like nutritious meals, bathing facilities, and transportation (Lewinson & Collard, 2012). Consequently, the expected mortality rate among persons experiencing homelessness is three to four times greater than that of the general public, with an average life expectancy between the ages of 42 and 52 (Adams, Rosenheck, Gee, Seibyl, & Kushel, 2007; O’Connell, 2005).…”