196167 FUSE New York City: Multiple and Varied Housing Histories of a Re-Entry Population

Monday, November 9, 2009: 9:10 AM

Angela A. Aidala, PhD , Mailman School of Pubic Health, Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY
Jocelyn Apicello, MPH , Mailman School of Pubic Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
William McAllister, PhD , Institute for Social & Economic Research & Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY
Background. The New York Frequent User Service Enhancement (FUSE) study evaluates a supportive housing intervention for persons with multiple shelter stays and jail experience. Methods. Data sources include in-depth personal interviews and administrative data matching to compare housing and other outcomes among intervention and comparison group members. Participants' complex housing histories are captured with a residential follow-back calendar which records detailed information on diverse aspects of participants' living situations, the amount of time in each situation, and transitions between them. Results. We analyze housing histories in two ways. Detailed information collected about housing and housing transitions provides rich detail about multiple dimensions of housing and living arrangements and reasons for housing loss not captured by stable/unstable or other dichotomous classifications. The second approach uses innovative analytic methods to identify individuals sharing similar patterns of living conditions, focusing on different patterns of institutional histories of living in shelters, jails/ prisons, hospitals and other residential settings as well as non-institutional living situations. This analysis suggests different ‘trajectories' of living patterns among those who would be considered chronic homeless according to the existing federal definitions. We analyze the extent to which individual characteristics and/or receipt of housing assistance and other services are associated with different housing trajectories. Conclusions. Preliminary analysis indicates that housing /homelessness histories are shaped more by federal, state, and local institutional policies rather than by individual characteristics or behaviors of program participants.

Learning Objectives:
Describe a survey measure for capturing complex housing histories. Discuss patterns of institutional and non-institutional living arrangements among adults with multiple shelter stays and jail experience. Identify groups of people who have similar “trajectories” of housing circumstances, especially institutional stays. Discuss how these trajectories relate to both individual traits and institutional policies.

Keywords: Homelessness, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Principal Investigator for the research study upon which the presentation is based.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.