Differences in health and welfare between homeless and homed welfare applicants in Los Angeles County.
Studies of homelessness have rarely addressed the differences between homed and homeless groups. Such differences may have significant impacts for subgroups of the homeless population, especially the mentally disabled homeless. This paper examines the characteristics of a sample of homed and homeless welfare applicants (N = 372) in Los Angeles County based on a recent survey conducted by the Department of Public and Social Services. First, a social geography of the homed and homeless is presented. Second, an analysis of these survey data indicates that these two populations differ in terms of demographic characteristics, types of employment, and access to institutional and social support. These results suggest that greater institutional and social support, labor market access, and stable and affordable housing resources are all necessary elements in policy which prevents and ameliorates homelessness.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine 92717-5150.
L M
LM
Takahashi
J R
JR
Wolch
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011203:Poverty; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012944:Social Support; D012946:Social Welfare