| This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of common themes among homeless families headed by women, their experience in the shelter system, and key factors that affect their ability to move out of the system into permanent housing in the community. Their experiences offer valuable lessons about the challenges of obtaining housing and the services needed to ensure a successful transition to self-sufficiency.In New York City, most families are able to move into stable housing within nine to 12 months. However, a small group of families remain in the shelter system for additional months and even years. Government authorities and service providers in NYC refer to these families as the Long-Term Stayers (LTS).This comparative study integrated multiple research methods, including qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative analysis, based on data-mining (Epstein, 2001) of the demographic data of 1820 female headed families who entered the NYC shelter system in 2003, was obtained with permission from DHS's Client Tracking System (CTS). This study used cross-tabulation of multiple variables and regression analyses to reach its conclusions.The qualitative analysis was based on two different sets of in-depth interviews. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 homeless mothers who lived in the shelter system for more than 18 months and with 15 female heads of household who were able to leave the system within nine months. The comparison between the LTS with the STS families was aimed at bringing to light new information about the homeless families and their struggle to move out of the system. Another set of interviews was conducted with seven key informants individuals who participate in the service delivery sector (shelter staff, advocates, and policymakers at DHS).The study's findings are discussed in the context of the women's lives, which included long histories of poverty, abuse, lack of social support. They shed light on both systemic and personal factors that contribute to the increased length of stay of families in the shelter system. Findings from this study have implications for program development and for public policy making at municipal and federal levels. Recommendations for future research are presented. |
