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Housing Patterns and Correlates of Homelessness Differ by Gender among Individuals Using San Francisco Free Food Programs

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Abstract

Homeless individuals experience high rates of morbidity and mortality, yet many homeless studies include small percentages of female participants. We therefore sought to determine correlates of homelessness separately for men and women in a sample of individuals visiting free food programs. Between August 2003 and April 2004, 324 individuals were recruited from San Francisco free food programs and interviewed regarding housing, sociodemographics, health, drug use, sex trade, and incarceration. Over one-half of women and almost three-fourths of men reported homelessness in the prior year. Among women, white race, younger age, not living with minor children, engaging in sex trade and recent incarceration were strongly associated with homelessness; however, only incarceration maintained the strong association in adjusted analysis (OR = 7.16, CI = 3.83–13.4). Among men, heavy alcohol use, drug use, years spent living in San Francisco and monthly income were strongly associated with homelessness; however, only years living in San Francisco (OR = 0.28, CI = 0.19–0.42) and monthly income maintained strong association in adjusted analysis (OR = 0.27, CI = 0.13–0.57). Housing patterns and the strongest correlates of homelessness among individuals visiting free food programs differ by sex. These results suggest the need to characterize homelessness and develop effective homeless interventions separately for men and women.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Richard Clark MPH, David Bangsberg MD, Andrew Moss PhD, Sandra Monk, Nelia Dela Cruz, John Day, Kelly Winslow, Jacqueline Ro, William Benjamin, Matthew Reynolds, James McMaster, Jackie Haslam, Jay Jankowski, and Laurae Pearson, as well as the SHADOW and REACH participants who shared the experiences that made this study possible. This study was supported by NIH DA RO1#15605 and MH R01#54907.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. San Francisco General Hospital, Epidemiology and Prevention Interventions Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Elise D. Riley, Sheri D. Weiser, Samantha Dilworth & Jennifer Cohen

  2. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Sheri D. Weiser & Torsten B. Neilands

  3. San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    James L. Sorensen

  4. Epidemiology and Prevention Interventions Center, University of California at San Francisco, UCSF Box #1372, SFGH Bldg. 100, Room 334, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Elise D. Riley

Authors
  1. Elise D. Riley
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  2. Sheri D. Weiser
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  3. James L. Sorensen
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  4. Samantha Dilworth
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  5. Jennifer Cohen
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  6. Torsten B. Neilands
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elise D. Riley.

Additional information

Riley, Weiser, Dilworth, and Cohen are with the San Francisco General Hospital, Epidemiology and Prevention Interventions Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weiser and Neilands are with the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Sorensen is with the San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

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Riley, E.D., Weiser, S.D., Sorensen, J.L. et al. Housing Patterns and Correlates of Homelessness Differ by Gender among Individuals Using San Francisco Free Food Programs. J Urban Health 84, 415–422 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-006-9153-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-006-9153-3

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