The causes of homelessness in later life: findings from a 3-nation study.
OBJECTIVE
This article presents findings from a study of the causes of homelessness among newly homeless older people in selected urban areas of the United States, England, and Australia.


METHODS
Interviews were conducted in each country with > or =122 older people who had become homeless during the last 2 years. Information was also collected from the subjects' key workers about the circumstances and problems that contributed to homelessness.


RESULTS
Two-thirds of the subjects had never been homeless before. Antecedent causes were the accommodation was sold or needed repair, rent arrears, death of a close relative, relationship breakdown, and disputes with other tenants and neighbors. Contributory factors were physical and mental health problems, alcohol abuse, and gambling problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Most subjects became homeless through a combination of personal problems and incapacities, welfare policy gaps, and service delivery deficiencies. Whereas there are nation-specific variations, across the three countries, the principal causes and their interactions are similar.
Crane
Maureen
M
Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing, University of Sheffield, Elmfield, Northumberland Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2TU, UK. m.a.crane@sheffield.ac.uk
Byrne
Kathleen
K
Fu
Ruby
R
Lipmann
Bryan
B
Mirabelli
Frances
F
Rota-Bartelink
Alice
A
Ryan
Maureen
M
Shea
Robert
R
Watt
Hope
H
Warnes
Anthony M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology