When the SSI Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (DA&A) disability category was eliminated in January 1997, 60% of former recipients became early welfare "leavers", in most cases, involuntarily. A random sample of SSI DA&A beneficiaries from 4 Northern California counties before termination and every 6 months through 24 months of follow-up, permits comparing those who lost SSI and those who regained benefits for another disability. Housing status, hunger and housing supports differed across study sites at baseline. Loss of at least half of already low incomes could not be absorbed without significant changes in coping patterns. This sample of SSI beneficiaries was unable to constrain food and other expenditures sufficiently to protect housing costs, and consequently housing security declined. Conversely, hunger, measured by the USDA Food Security Scale, decreased slightly. Respondents also experienced changes over time in reliance on public assistance, family assistance, and earnings. Housing, homelessness and hunger are the outcomes explored in multivariate models. Independent variables include gender; household composition; change over time in sources of income, including Food Stamps, family, work, and marginal economic activities, such as pan-handling; housing costs and other expenses relative to income; need for help and access to assistance; and physical, mental and substance abuse disabilities. These findings have policy implications for public supports for the disabled, as well as broader implications for welfare reform.
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize USDA Hunger Scale questions. 2. Identify the effects, or lack of effects, of food safety net programs on hunger, and housing subsidies on housing security. 3. Identify other factors influencing housing security and homelessness rates in a welfare-eligible population, including measurement methods, health, mental health, substance use and household composition
Keywords: Homelessness, Disability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.