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Comparing the Housing Trajectories of Different Classes Within a Diverse Homeless Population

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

The paper presents findings from a longitudinal study identifying different classes of homeless individuals in a mid-size Canadian city based on health-related characteristics and comparing the housing trajectories of these classes 2 years later. Using data collected through in-person interviews with a sample of 329 single persons who have experienced homelessness, the paper presents results of a latent class analysis. Results found four distinct latent classes characterized by different levels of severity of health problems—i.e., a class of individuals who are “Higher Functioning” (28.7%), a second class with “Substance Abuse Problems” (27.1%), a third class with “Mental Health Substance Abuse Problems” (22.6%), and a fourth class with “Complex Physical and Mental Health Problems” (21.6%) that included having diminished physical functioning, multiple chronic physical health conditions, mental health difficulties, and in some cases substance abuse problems. Follow-up interviews with 197 of these individuals (59.9%) 2 years later showed the class of individuals with substance abuse problems experiencing the greatest difficulty in exiting homelessness and achieving housing stability. Implications of these findings for social policy development and program planning are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding for the research from the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, Human Resources Social Development Canada, and the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology & Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Tim Aubry

  2. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Fran Klodawsky

  3. School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Daniel Coulombe

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  1. Tim Aubry
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  2. Fran Klodawsky
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Correspondence to Tim Aubry.

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Aubry, T., Klodawsky, F. & Coulombe, D. Comparing the Housing Trajectories of Different Classes Within a Diverse Homeless Population. Am J Community Psychol 49, 142–155 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9444-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9444-z

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