Rural Families Experiencing Homelessness: Demographics, Program Design, Outcome of High Barrier Transitional Housing and Rehabilitation Program.

To date most research on homelessness has centered on urban and metropolitan environments, with little data on the characteristics of rural families experiencing homelessness. This study presents characteristics of a sample of rural families experiencing homelessness and describes the structure, immediate outcomes, and cost of a community designed transitional family housing program. Study findings suggest these families face complex and varied challenges similar to other populations experiencing homelessness. The diversity of the population supports the idea that housing programs for families experiencing homelessness in both rural and urban settings should offer programs that are service intensive and of sufficient duration to allow for a tailored approach. This research highlights that, in rural communities, family homelessness can be a product of more than a lack of affordable housing. To be most successful, in addition to providing stable housing in a safe and secure environment, attention to cost-effective interventions that maintain family unity must include a wide range of services for the whole family. Highlights: This study evaluates a high-barrier, transitional housing program focusing on recovery in California. Rural families experiencing homelessness in this sample were predominantly Caucasian, with distinctively little diversity. Most families were headed by single mothers, with two to three children, with almost one-third of mothers noting reliable childcare as important to their acquiring stable employment. Approximately half of the sample reported family histories of substance abuse, childhood adversities, and mental health challenges. Suicide attempts were above national reports for the general public but consistent with other samples experiencing homelessness. Special attention should be given to younger families without criminal or drug program histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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