Family Homelessness: An Investigation of Structural Effects

Homelessness has often been attributed to personal deficits rather than to socioeconomic (structural) conditions. This study uses a unique dataset or panel containing the number of people in family units in emergency shelters in Missouri by county during five matched summer and winter dates (1993-2001). This panel contains a nearly complete enumeration of emergency shelter populations within central city, suburban, smaller metropolitan, and rural counties in Missouri on these dates. Structural effects on homelessness are assessed using generalized estimating equations. During winter and summer dates, the number of people in families in emergency shelters is positively related to unemployment rates and inversely related to general relief. Economic activity as measured by taxable sales is inversely related to family emergency shelter populations in the summer but not in the winter. Results are consistent with beliefs that family homelessness is a consequence of poor economic conditions and insufficient social welfare support.