History of Homelessness
For almost half (49 percent) of homeless clients, their current spell of homelessness is their first (table 2.7). Of the remaining homeless clients, 17 percent are in their second spell and 34 percent have had at least three homeless spells including the current one. Twenty-eight percent of current episodes have lasted three months or less, another 11 percent have lasted between four and six months, 15 percent between seven and twelve months, 16 percent between thirteen and twenty-four months, and 30 percent have lasted two years or more. Patterns of homelessness differ between homeless clients in families and single clients, primarily among those who are in their first homeless episode (figure 2.15). Both groups are equally likely to be in a first episode (50 and 49 percent). However, homeless families are more likely than single homeless clients to be in a short first episode (34 versus 15 percent), and less likely to be in a long first episode (16 versus 34 percent). Homeless clients give many different reasons why they had to leave their last residence, but only a few reasons are identified by at least 5 percent of clients. These include not being able to pay the rent (15 percent), losing a job or having a job end (14 percent), doing drugs (7 percent), the landlord making one leave (6 percent), and not getting along with the people there (5 percent). Reasons for leaving one's last residence differ greatly by family status. More homeless clients in families than single homeless clients left because they could not pay the rent (22 versus 14 percent), because there was violence in the household (13 versus 2 percent), or because the landlord made them leave (12 versus 5 percent). Conversely, fewer homeless clients in families than single homeless clients say they left because they lost their job (2 versus 16 percent).
People Who Change Locations after Becoming Homeless Fifty-six percent of homeless clients were interviewed in the same city, town, or rural community where they became homeless this time; that is, they have not changed communities since becoming homeless (table 2.7). An additional 22 percent say they have stayed for at least two days in two different communities since becoming homeless (including the one where they were interviewed), 8 percent have stayed in three different communities, and 14 percent have stayed in four or more different communities since becoming homeless. Among movers, 61 percent moved from one community to another within the same state, with 74 percent of homeless families and 59 percent of single homeless clients who moved staying within the same state. Family status makes a big difference in the likelihood of moving from one community to another while homeless. Homeless clients in families were much more likely to have remained in the same community than were single homeless clients (71 versus 54 percent). In addition, they were much less likely to have stayed in five or more communities while homeless (1 versus 12 percent).
Why They Move. Respondents who report having left the community where this episode of homelessness began explained why they left that place, and why they came to the city or town where they were interviewed for NSHAPC. Many reasons were given for leaving their original town. The four most common were that there were no jobs in that place (18 percent), there was no affordable housing in that place (13 percent), they were evicted or asked to leave their housing (14 percent), and there were no services in that place (5 percent). Clients in families were less likely than single homeless clients to give lack of jobs as a reason for leaving (10 versus 19 percent), and more likely to give as reasons the lack of affordable housing (18 versus 12 percent), eviction/being asked to leave (20 versus 13 percent), and perceived lack of services (13 versus 4 percent). Homeless clients who moved also gave many reasons for coming to the city or town where they participated in NSHAPC. Only four reasons were given by 10 percent or more of movers: they had friends and/or relatives here (25 percent), shelters/missions were here (21 percent), they were looking for work or heard there were jobs here (16 percent), and there were good services and programs here (19 percent). Only the two service-related reasons differentiate families from single homeless clients. Forty-one percent of families who moved mentioned the availability of shelters or missions in their new location, compared with 18 percent of single homeless who moved, while 27 percent of families who moved mentioned good services or programs as a reason to come to their current location, compared with 17 percent of single homeless clients who moved. Where They Move from and Where They Move to. The basic pattern of moves between community types is for people to move to a place that is larger than the one they came from.21 Among people who changed the type of community in which they were living after becoming homeless for their current episode, 28 percent started in a large central city, 14 percent in a medium-sized central city, 31 and 10 percent, respectively, in the urban fringes of large and medium-sized central cities, 10 percent in large or small towns, 5 percent in rural areas, and 1 percent in another country (table 2.8).
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