Lost in Limbo: An Exploratory Study of Homeless Mothers' Experiences and Needs at Emergency Assistance Hotels

Thomas, Kristie A.; So, Marvin

doi:10.1606/1044-3894.2016.97.15

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Using hotels in this non-traditional way caused friction between some shelters and hotels, with several shelters reporting being 'kicked out' of hotels, and other hotels being unwilling to consider housing women who had experienced violence (Vandenbeld Giles, 2020). This aligns with research that has identified the relationship between hotel personnel and shelter staff, and with the abused women staying in hotels, to be quite tenuous (Thomas & So, 2016;Vandenbeld Giles, 2020). Our findings indicate that EDs and shelter staff spent time building and maintaining relationships with hotels so that women could continue to have a place to stay.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…The inadequacy of hotels as temporary housing for people facing homelessness for various reasons has been underscored by previous scholars. In a study of homeless mothers staying in emergency assistance hotels, Thomas and So (2016) identified four major challenges for women. They found that emergency assistance hotels failed to meet women's basic needs; the experience of living in hotels is analogous to living in a constant state of limbo; emergency assistance hotel stays foster loneliness and isolation; and that using hotels as emergency shelter spaces creates conflict between hotel staff and residents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a response to this reduction in shelter beds, many DV and homeless shelters opted to use hotels as temporary housing to support clients that could not be accommodated in shelter due to public health regulations. There is a precedent for using hotels as an interim measure when the demand for shelter spaces outstrips supply, particularly for families, (e.g., City of Ottawa, City of Toronto), but there is limited research available about reasons for hotel use and the long term implications for this response (Knight et al, 2014;Thomas & So, 2016;Vandenbeld Giles, 2020). While some restrictions in congregate housing settings have been lifted, many shelters remain closed or are operating at reduced capacity, which continues to create challenges for people who need alternative housing arrangements (Evans et al, 2020).…”

Section: Covid-19: Just Another Challenge For the Violence Against Women Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the use of Hotels as Alternative Housing by Domestic Violence Shelters During COVID-19

Mantler

Veenendaal

Wathen

2021

IJOH

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Domestic violence shelters present a unique context within the congregate living sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelters supporting women during the pandemic had to change service delivery models to include housing women in hotels to adhere to government restrictions and ensure women, and their children, were not homeless. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of hotel use as alternative housing for women experiencing domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. We used interpretive description methodology, including in-depth interviews with 8 women using shelter services, 26 shelter workers and 5 focus groups with 24 executive directors of women’s shelters and other organizations who serve women who have experienced domestic violence. We identified and explored three main tensions in housing women at hotels compared to shelters: 1) autonomy/independence versus support, 2) a better option, the only option, and/or a safety concern, and 3) adequacy of hotels as housing. Drawbacks and benefits of the use of hotels as housing for women in the context of domestic violence are explored and recommendations are highlighted.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Covid-19: Just Another Challenge For the Violence Against Women Sectormentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the use of Hotels as Alternative Housing by Domestic Violence Shelters During COVID-19

Mantler

Veenendaal

Wathen

2021

IJOH

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“…There is a paucity of qualitative academic literature about families living in motels and my research aims to fill in this gap (Thomas and So, 2016). Homelessness in North America is gendered in a particular way.…”

Section: The Making and Unmaking Of 'Home'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Not a home: Shelter families living in Canadian motels

Giles

2020

Current Sociology

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Given the precarity and mobility of neoliberalism, there has been increasing interest into constructs of ‘home’. In this article, the author defines ‘home’ as an active and relational process encompassing interactions between materiality and immateriality. Participant observation research conducted amongst shelter families in Toronto, Canada, living in motels can shed light on some of these larger global conversations about what ‘home’ is, and particularly, what it is not. These motels are utilized as part of the City of Toronto Shelter, Support and Housing Administration providing free shelter to impoverished families in need. Social workers, shelter managers and local faith group volunteers assert that the motels should be considered ‘home’ and the problem is that the women living in the motels with their children treat the physical space as transitory. In contrast, the women assert that the motel space is not a home and can never be made into one. The author argues that for these women, there are three critical elements missing in the motel: control over space, safety/security and privacy. The assertion that the motel space is not a home is a significant form of resistance to the regulatory bureaucratic structuring of daily life. However, despite this absence of home, the women feel strong identification as mothers and have formed systems of informal shared networks. This research helps to further illuminate not only our understandings of ‘home’, but also deepen and complicate normative associations equating ‘home’ with physical structure, domesticity and family.

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“…Most CBPR employs qualitative approaches to learn about families. Common qualitative techniques include photoblogging and photovoice; 26,27,28,29 semistructured interviews and focus groups; 30,31,32 creative writing and performance art; 33,34 and participatory mapping techniques. 35,36 Goals of qualitative CBPR are to identify community and individual assets, develop understanding of how consumers perceive their families' needs, and enable participants to give voice to their challenges and struggles.…”

Section: Introduction _______________________________________________mentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Experiences of Homelessness in Massachusetts: The Case for Family-Centered Care

DeCandia¹,

Hayes²,

So³

2017

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The authors would like to thank the OAK Foundation and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development for their support of this study, their ongoing commitment to Homes for Families, and for addressing the needs of families who experience homelessness. Special thanks are extended to the members of the Consumer Advocacy Team (CAT). Their lived experience ensured that the survey we used was appropriate for families experiencing homelessness and that the study was designed to elicit families' input into how well services aligned with needs. We also thank the Homes for Families interns and staff, especially Charlotte Vieira and Rebecca Gilbert, who were instrumental in survey development, and Nilaya Montalvo and Sarah Fuller for facilitating the surveys and collecting data. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy Program and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MC00001) for funding Mr. So's efforts. Finally, we extend our deep appreciation to all the communities and programs who participated, and most especially to the families who lent their voices and shared their experiences to help us better understand the resources they need to overcome homelessness. About Homes for Families _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Homes for Families is a statewide advocacy organization committed to ending family homelessness through permanent and emergency solutions. We are a collaborative of families who have experienced homelessness, service providers and advocates. Together we educate, organize and advocate for improved public policies to address the root causes of family homelessness with holistic community-based solutions.

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Lost in Limbo: An Exploratory Study of Homeless Mothers' Experiences and Needs at Emergency Assistance Hotels

Cited by 13 publications

References 40 publications

Exploring the use of Hotels as Alternative Housing by Domestic Violence Shelters During COVID-19

Exploring the use of Hotels as Alternative Housing by Domestic Violence Shelters During COVID-19

Not a home: Shelter families living in Canadian motels

Family Experiences of Homelessness in Massachusetts: The Case for Family-Centered Care

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