Homelessness

"We compared 49 homeless female-headed families with 81 housed female-headed families in Boston. Most housed families were living in public or private subsidized housing. In both groups the mothers were poor, currently single, had little work experience, and had been on welfare for long periods. Many of their children had serious developmental and emotional problems. Homeless mothers had more frequently been abused as children and battered as adults and their support networks were fragmented; the housed mothers had female relatives and extended family living nearby whom they saw often. The frequency of drug, alcohol, and serious psychiatric problems was greater among the homeless mothers. The homeless mothers may have been more vulnerable to the current housing shortage because they lacked support in time of need. This, in turn, may have been due to their history of family violence. Psychiatric disabilities may have been another contributing factor in the minority of homeless women. The notion that a 'culture of poverty' accounts for homelessness was not supported by the data since the homeless were less likely to have grown up in families on welfare. The data suggest that solutions to family homelessness in the current housing market require an increase in the supply of decent affordable housing, income maintenance, and assistance from social welfare agencies focused on rebuilding supportive relationships."

Which, if is unclear, is that between the two groups taken and Analise, both housed and un-housed female house-heads were abused. the un-housed homeless family house-heads were
more frequently on drugs, alcohol, or needed psychiatric help. they were also more affected by the shortage of housing for the homeless. The housed homeless families could more often stay at a near-by relatives home, which made it easier on them and, not harder on the the un-housed families b/c they were not connected, but the un-housed people were having a harder time than the housed mother's families and the housed mother.