Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Lifetime Prevalence of Homelessness in the United States

Vincent A. Fusaro (), Helen G. Levy and H. Luke Shaefer
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Vincent A. Fusaro: Boston College School of Social Work
Helen G. Levy: University of Michigan
H. Luke Shaefer: University of Michigan

Demography, 2018, vol. 55, issue 6, No 6, 2119-2128

Abstract: Abstract Homelessness in the United States is often examined using cross-sectional, point-in-time samples. Any experience of homelessness is a risk factor for adverse outcomes, so it is also useful to understand the incidence of homelessness over longer periods. We estimate the lifetime prevalence of homelessness among members of the Baby Boom cohort (n = 6,545) using the 2012 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative survey of older Americans. Our analysis indicates that 6.2 % of respondents had a period of homelessness at some point in their lives. We also identify dramatic disparities in lifetime incidence of homelessness by racial and ethnic subgroups. Rates of homelessness were higher for non-Hispanic blacks (16.8 %) or Hispanics of any race (8.1 %) than for non-Hispanic whites (4.8 %; all differences significant with p

Keywords: Homelessness; Racial and ethnic disparities; Health and retirement study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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DOI: 10.1007/s13524-018-0717-0

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