Book Description

This qualitative study examines the lived experience of homelessness from the perspective of women in permanent supportive housing programs. Fifteen formerly homeless women residing in permanent supportive housing, along with eleven service providers, were interviewed to determine patterns of service utilization and unique aspects of women's experience of homelessness. Findings suggest that women's experience of homelessness is characterized by increased vulnerability compared with their male peers and often impacted by the presence of children. This vulnerability appears to influence women's decisions to access shelter and services, with women reporting far less "on the street" homelessness and more willingness to enter and remain in shelter programs than their male counterparts. Women with children present have greater access to mainstream benefits and use these resources, along with limited support from family, to maintain stability while in permanent supportive housing. Participants did not observe significant differences in the services needed by male and female clients, but noted that gender, and investment in traditional gender roles, influences how these services are perceived by recipients. Men were believed to feel more stigmatized by the experience of requesting assistance and more reluctant to seek help than their female counterparts. Women demonstrated greater willingness to access services, but many faced barriers related to a diminished sense of self-efficacy, along with concerns related to securing transportation and childcare. The majority of women interviewed viewed permanent supportive housing as a temporary home that allowed them the time and space to pursue educational, employment, and parenting goals absent the financial pressures they experienced while independently housed. These women, particularly those younger than 35, were confident in their ability to achieve self-sufficiency within one to five years. Older residents expressed somewhat more modest goals related to managing disabilities and navigating pension systems. Women and families are a unique population in permanent supportive housing and face multiple barriers to self-sufficiency. Practitioners and policymakers must begin to recognize these differences in designing programming that addresses this population's specific needs in permanent supportive housing.