Characteristics and experiences of homeless adults: A comparison of singlemen, single women, and women with children

Based on a broad sample of 228 homeless adults from throughout Buffalo, New York, single homeless women (n = 56) homeless women with children (n = 41) , and single homeless men (n = 131) were compared on a wine range of measur es with established reliability and validity Based on total lifetime income from all sources, the poorest of the three groups was the women with child ren. The two groups of women reported greater psychological distress than t he men, had more contact with family members, were more likely to have been recently assaulted, and were less likely to have a history of substance ab use or criminal behavior Although the single men and women reported more st ressful life events commonly associated with homelessness than the women wi th children, the measure used contained few items pertaining to child-reari ng. The findings suggest that the three groups examined have different need s and require different interventions. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.