Dp. Culhane et R. Kuhn, PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF PUBLIC SHELTER UTILIZATION AMONG HOMELESS ADULTS IN NEW-YORK-CITY AND PHILADELPHIA, Journal of policy analysis and management, 17(1), 1998, pp. 23-43
Administrative data on public shelter utilization among homeless adult
s from New York City (1987-1994) and Philadelphia (1991-1994) are anal
yzed to identify the relative proportion of shelter users by length of
star and rate of readmission, and to identify the characteristics tha
t predict an exit from shelter Survival analyses reveal that half of a
dult shelter users will stay fewer than 45 days over a two-year period
(combined stays), and that approximately one half of men and one thir
d of women will experience a readmission within two years of the first
admission. Results also document the size and relative resource consu
mption of a long-term sheltered population, finding that 18.2 percent
of New York shelter users stay 180 days or more in their first year, c
onsuming 53.4 percent of the system days for first-time shelter users.
Discrete-time logistic hazard regression analyses reveal that, in gen
eral, being older of black race, having a substance abuse or mental he
alth problem, or having a physical disability, significantly reduces t
he likelihood of exiting shelter In both cities, people entering shelt
er in later years are staying longer although individuals have shorter
episodes on subsequent admissions. The implications of this study for
the analysis and management of emergency shelter system utilization a
re discussed.