A Journey Home: What Drives How Long People Are Homeless?

Deborah Cobb-Clark, Nicolas Hérault, Rosanna Scutella and Yi-Ping Tseng

No 8495, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper uses survival analysis to model exits over time from two alternative notions of homelessness. We are unique in being able to account for time-invariant, unobserved heterogeneity. We find that duration dependence has an inverted U-shape with exit rates initially increasing (indicating positive duration dependence) and then falling. Like previous researchers, we find results consistent with negative duration dependence in models which ignore unobserved heterogeneity. Exit rates out of homelessness fall with age and with the education level of mothers. Women are more likely than men to exit homelessness when it is broadly conceived, but appear to be less likely to exit when it is narrowly defined. Finally, higher paternal education and exemptions from welfare-related activity requirements due to either mental or physical health conditions are all associated with higher exit rates.

Keywords: housing insecurity; survival analysis; duration dependence; homelessness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C4 I3 R2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2014-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Forthcoming - published in: Journal of Urban Economics, 2016, 91, 57-72.

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Related works:
Journal Article: A journey home: What drives how long people are homeless? (2016)
Working Paper: A Journey Home: What Drives How Long People Are Homeless? (2014)
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