Tenure in supportive housing for homeless persons with severe mental illness

Objective: The study examined the long-term effectiveness of approaches to housing homeless persons with serious mental illness. Methods: A total of 2 ,937 persons placed in high-, moderate, -and low-intensity housing were fol lowed for up to five years. Intensity reflected on the amount of structure and degree of clients' independence. The outcome variable was tenure id hou sing. Cox stepwise regression was used to calculate risk ratios of becoming discontinuously housed. Results: Thirty percent of the sample were initial ly placed in high-intensity settings, 18 percent in moderate-intensity sett ings, and 52 percent in low-intensity settings. Those in high-intensity set tings tended to be younger, to be referred from hospitals, and to have a hi story or diagnosis of substance abuse. Individuals in moderate-intensity se ttings were more likely to be female and were least likely to have substanc e abuse problems. Individuals in low-intensity settings were more likely to be referred by municipal shelters and to have lived in municipal shelters for four or more months. After one, two, and five years, 75 percent, 64 per cent, and 50 percent, respectively, of the sample were continuously housed. Older age was associated with longer tenure, and having a history of subst ance abuse was associated with shorter tenure. Individuals referred from a state psychiatric center had a greater risk of shorter tenure than other ty pes of referrals. Conclusions: Results show that homeless persons with seri ous mental illness can remain in stable housing for periods of up to five y ears, supporting the premise that long-term residential stability can be en hanced by providing access to safe and affordable supportive housing.