Predictors of Transience Among Homeless Emerging Adults

Abstract

This study identified predictors of transience among homeless emerging adults in three cities. A total of 601 homeless emerging adults from Los Angeles, Austin, and Denver were recruited using purposive sampling. Ordinary least squares regression results revealed that significant predictors of greater transience include White ethnicity, high school degree or equivalent, homeless residence in the 6 months prior to the study, longer period of homelessness, history of arrest and juvenile detention, earning income through informal sources, history of physical abuse, alcohol/drug addiction, and resilience characteristics. Quantitative findings were expanded upon with data from in-depth interviews with 145 of these homeless emerging adults regarding their reasons and motivations for transience. Identifying predictors of transience will facilitate customizing interventions that, when needed, aim to stabilize homeless emerging adults, prevent their mobility, and/or offer mobile services to them on the road.

Experiences and needs of homeless youth with a history of foster care

“…Previous work suggests foster care youths' relationships to family and friends can be protective and reduce homelessness ; whether housing with these support systems creates long-term stability or a temporary fix that interferes with long-term housing deserves further study. Third, youth with greater transience reported being homeless longer, suggesting the instability associated with frequent moves may disrupt finding permanent housing (Ferguson, Bender, & Thompson, 2013). This finding aligns with previous research that demonstrates transience is associated with other negative outcomes such as trauma, PTSD, and substance use among homeless youth (Bender, Ferguson, Thompson, Komlo, & Pollio, 2010;Ferguson et al, 2010), and suggests that services that anchor youth into a stable geographic location may aid in increasing housing stability.…”

Recruitment and Retention of Homeless Youth in a Substance Use and HIV-risk Reduction Program

“…Achieving high participation and retention rates required of rigorously conducted evaluations can be particularly challenging when working with mobile and hard-to-reach populations. For example, recruitment and retention in longitudinal studies of individuals who are homeless (Glasser et al 2014; Koegel et al 1996) is challenging due to fluctuations in temporary residences (e.g., sleeping on a street one night, a shelter the next night, and a friend’s house the next night), presence of substance use and mental health problems, lack of permanent or mailing address, wariness of authority figures (which may include research field staff), or simply disinterest in the research.…”

“…To achieve adequate response rates, especially in a highly mobile and transient population, such as homeless youth (Ferguson et al 2014; Martino et al 2011), researchers must be creative and open to adapting traditional social science methods. Models exist to locate and track hard-to-reach populations in longitudinal studies, such as illicit drug users (Cottler et al 1996; Scott 2004) and those with severe mental illnesses (Coen et al 1996; McKenzie et al 1999).…”

Risk and Resilience Factors Associated With Formal and Informal Income Generation Among Homeless Young Adults in Three U.S. Cities

“…Transience as an adaptive coping mechanism in homeless young people is also associated with formal employment. Homeless young adults relocate to new cities for myriad reasons, including the pursuit of educational and employment goals (Ferguson, Bender, & Thompson, 2014). Among housed young adults, transience is common during emerging adulthood, as it enables them to accomplish their personal and professional goals.…”