Houselessness and housing

Homelessness is a significant concern in the United States, impacting nearly 580,000 people (Pergantis, Tolliver, & Bishop, 2016). Unemployment among homeless individuals is estimated to be around 80-90%, and mental illness is a contributing factor to continued homelessness and lack of employment (Gentil, Greiner, Bamvita, Dorvil, & Fleury, 2019; Pergantis et al., 2016; Poremski, Whitley, & Latimer, 2014). It follows that finding gainful employment is a crucial factor in combating homelessness, however, there are many barriers that contribute to chronic homelessness, such as lack of employment opportunities, mental health concerns, and substance use.

In Washington State, 22,304 people are homeless on any given night, and there are roughly 30 houseless people per 10,000 people in the general population. This includes families, children, veterans, and people in crisis. Houselessness in Washington has increased by 10% since 2020, and only .3% was an increase due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Defining Houselessness and Housing Stability

According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11301 (1994), a person is considered homeless if he or she lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence, and has a primary night-time residency that is a supervised publicly or privately owned shelter, an institution that provides temporary residence, or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinary used as a regular sleeping accommodation. 

Additionally, people experiencing homelessness may fall into three separate categories. Pergantis et al. (2016) described these as transitional or first-time, episodic, and chronic. Transitionally homeless people may not identify as homeless and are often eager to accept support. Episodic homelessness means that individuals may be dependent on the system, have lowered self-esteem, and experience periods of semi-stable housing. Chronic homelessness is the stage in which individuals are desensitized to the experience of homelessness, and “being homeless” has become a significant part of the person’s identity. Understanding the differentiation between stages is important for intervention, as the method of intervention may vary depending on the individual’s needs, perceived self-efficacy, and ability to manage daily living activities. 

As housing stability is a key concept in homelessness research, it is important to consider how it is defined. Stability may be thought of as existing on a continuum—on one end there exists no access to housing, and on the other, there is access to housing of reasonable quality with the absence of threats (Chwalek, Karabanow, & Kidd, 2014). Additionally, subjective stability is also important to consider, as everyone may have a different idea of what he or she perceives as “stable,” or what he or she wants in a home. For example, living with family could be seen as stable housing, however, the housing is dependent on the cooperation of multiple people. Supportive housing, while beneficial for some, might also not be considered stable, as it is often temporary and eventually ends. However, when an individual has a job, it makes them less vulnerable to long-term instability, as it builds human capital and self-esteem, in addition to building in daily routine and providing income.