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Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness

Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness. Dennis Culhane University of Pennsylvania Stephen Metraux University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Jung Min Park University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Jesse Valente State of Massachusetts Maryann Schretzman City of New York. Background.

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Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness

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  1. Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness Dennis Culhane University of Pennsylvania Stephen Metraux University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Jung Min Park University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Jesse Valente State of Massachusetts Maryann Schretzman City of New York

  2. Background • Singles typology experience • But families are different: - much lower MH/SA rates - not different from poor housed families - relatively homogeneous • Potential confounders – policy/program factors - use of shelter system as queue for subsidies - transitional shelter as a reform movement

  3. Cluster Distributions: Persons and Shelter Days Consumed(Single Adults in Philadelphia) • Transitionals: • 1.19 stays • 20.4 days • Episodics: • 3.84 stays • 72.8 days • Chronics: • 1.53 stays • 252.4 days

  4. Disability Condition & Veteran Status By Cluster (Single Adults in Philadelphia)

  5. Methodology • Four jurisdictions – Philadelphia, NYC, Columbus OH, and Massachusetts • HMIS data – new admissions followed for two or three year periods • 30 day exit criterion applied • Cluster analysis, specifying three cluster solution • Database merges to identify service histories

  6. Health and Social Service Databases Merged • In one city: Medicaid, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Child Welfare • In one state: Medicaid, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Child Welfare • In one city: Child Welfare

  7. Results: Cluster Solution(Massachusetts, family shelter users) • Transitionals: • 1.0 stays • 105 days • Episodics: • 2.0 stays • 195 days • Long-Stayers: • 1.0 stays • 444 days

  8. Intensive Service Histories of Families

  9. Income Sources

  10. The Average Cost of Shelter Stays by Type(Massachusetts) • Transitional $11,550 • Episodic $21,450 • Long-term $48,440 Does not include McKinney-Vento funding or non-DTA public service contracts.

  11. Summary • Cluster patterns are robust across sites • Most families (75%) leave quickly and don’t return • A small number (5%) return repeatedly • 20% of families have long stays, using 50% of resources • BUT – unlike singles – long stays do not indicate personal barriers to housing stability

  12. Conclusions • Policies and programs driving long stays • Characteristics of “graduates” may reflect selection effects of policies and programs • Most costly service users are not differentially service-needy • Need for reform

  13. Model Cost by Volume Service System for Addressing Housing Emergencies Shelter Admission Diversion, Relocation and Transitional Rental Assistance Volume Prevention Supportive Housing Cost per Case Community- Based programs Mainstream systems

  14. Future Research • Develop assessment tools for classifying families • Develop housing assistance models to relocate families and test efficacy by type of family • Use HMIS for assessment and tracking outcomes, possibly routinely check for service histories of families • Study selection behaviors of facilities, role of policies

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