In 1987 the Urban Institute conducted a national survey of homeless clients using shelters and soup kitchens in large U.S. cities (those with 100,000 or more population in 1994). As there is considerable interest in examining whether, and in what ways, clients who are homeless may have changed during the nine years between the Urban Institute and NSHAPC surveys, relevant comparisons are presented here. For this analysis NSHAPC data have been restricted to be comparable to the 1987 data. This means that the 1996 statistics in this comparison are based only on homeless NSHAPC clients found in central cities who were sampled from shelters, voucher distribution programs, and soup kitchens. Table 2.10 presents comparable figures for 1987 and 1996 using these parameters to analyze the 1996 NSHAPC data.

As can be seen from the data in table 2.10, in 1996 homeless shelter and soup kitchen users located in central cities are less likely to be white (39 versus 46 percent) and more likely to be black (46 versus 41 percent) than those from 1987. They are more likely to have completed high school—39 versus 32 percent, and to have some education beyond high school—27 versus 20 percent. They are more likely to have married at some time in their lives (51 versus 45 percent), but have the same likelihood of being in a homeless family (10 percent in each year).

Although the mean length of clients' current homeless episode is shorter in 1996 than it was in 1987 (39 versus 32 months), there is no significant difference in the median length (12 versus 10 months).²² There is some increase in the proportion with short spells (30 versus 21 percent with spells of three months or less). However, there is no change in the proportion with long spells (31 percent of both 1987 Urban Institute and comparable 1996 NSHAPC clients reported spells of two or more years' duration).

In 1996, a larger proportion of homeless households received means-tested benefits (AFDC, SSI, and food stamps) than was true in 1987. In 1987, 33 percent of homeless clients in families reported receiving AFDC, which increased to 58 percent of comparable NSHAPC clients in 1996. Twice as large a proportion of all homeless central city users of shelters and soup kitchens received food stamps in 1996 compared with 1987 (37 percent versus 18 percent). For SSI the figures tripled (13 versus 4 percent). These differences are probably attributable to significantly greater efforts by homeless service providers to help clients obtain benefits, and to greater outreach efforts on the part of the government benefit programs themselves. Major SSI rule changes that effectively reduced the eligibility of many clients at high risk for homelessness (by eliminating eligibility for clients with a primary diagnosis of alcohol and/or drug abuse) did not take effect until after NSHAPC data were collected.

Probably as a consequence of increased access to public benefits, mean monthly per person income is higher in 1996 ($267) than it was in 1987 ($189)²³ among comparable clients. These estimates assume that the 10 percent of clients who have children with them have on average two children each, and that the remaining 90 percent of clients are by themselves.

The food situation has improved somewhat for homeless clients. In 1987, 38 percent of clients in the Urban Institute study (homeless users of central city shelters and soup kitchens) said they sometimes or often did not get enough to eat. Among comparable NSHAPC clients, 28 percent say the same in 1996. The greater likelihood of receiving food stamps may be related to this improved food situation. In addition, 31 percent say they get enough of the kinds of food they want to eat, compared with 19 percent in 1987.

The proportion of central city homeless clients who have experienced inpatient treatment for alcohol or drug abuse or for mental health problems has not changed at all between 1987 and 1996. The statistics in this analysis are based on all central city homeless clients, rather than being restricted to those who have any alcohol, drug, or mental health problem, because the 1987 Urban Institute data do not include the information needed to assess service use only among those with a problem.

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