Housing retention in single-site Housing First for chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems

S.E. Collins, D.K. Malone and S.L. Clifasefi

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue S2, S269-S274

Abstract: Objectives. We studied housing retention and its predictors in the single-site Housing First model. Methods. Participants (n = 111) were chronically homeless people with severe alcohol problems who lived in a single-site Housing First program and participated in a larger nonrandomized controlled trial (2005-2008) conducted in Seattle, Washington. At baseline, participants responded to self-report questionnaires assessing demographic, illness burden, alcohol and other drug use, and psychiatric variables. Housing status was recorded over 2 years. Results. Participants were interested in housing, although a sizable minority did not believe they would be able to maintain abstinence-based housing. Only 23% of participants returned to homelessness during the 2-year follow-up. Commonly cited risk factors - alcohol and other drug use, illness burden, psychiatric symptoms, and homelessness history - did not predict resumed homelessness. Active drinkers were more likely to stay in this housing project than nondrinkers. Conclusions. We found that single-site Housing First programming fills a gap in housing options for chronically homeless people with severe alcohol problems.

Keywords: adult; age; alcoholism; female; health status; homelessness; housing; human; male; mental health; middle aged; psychology; risk factor; sex; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; Substance-Related Disorders; time; addiction; alcoholism; article; homelessness; housing; psychological aspect; statistics, Adult; Age Factors; Alcoholism; Female; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Housing; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Sex; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance-Related Disorders; Time Factors, Adult; Age Factors; Alcoholism; Female; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Housing; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Sex; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance-Related Disorders; Time Factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301312_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301312

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