[homeles_ot-l] Article on Patterns of Shelter Stays

[Tim D. Aubry]

FYI, I am attaching is an article on shelter stays patterns (including in Ottawa) that has been published in the journal of Housing Studies and is now available online. The research was presented at the Alliance's 2010 Homelessness Forum.   The article has been made open access so you are welcome to circulate it.

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ABSTRACT
The study analyzed the patterns of emergency shelter stays of single persons in three
Canadian cities of different sizes (i.e., Toronto, Ottawa, and Guelph). Similar to findings of previous
research conducted in large American cities in the early 1990s, cluster analyses defined three
clusters with distinct patterns of shelter stays (temporary, episodic, and long stay). A temporary
cluster (88-94 per cent) experienced a small number of homeless episodes for relatively short
periods of time. An episodic cluster (3-11 per cent) experienced multiple homeless episodes also for
short periods of time. A long-stay cluster (2-4 per cent) had a relatively small number of homeless
episodes but for long periods of time. Despite their relatively small size, the episodic and long-stay
clusters used a disproportionately large number of total shelter beds. The study extends findings from
previous American research to a Canadian context and to small- and medium-size cities.
Implications of the findings for program and policy development are discussed.

Tim Aubry
Professeur / Professor
École de psychologie / School of Psychology
Co-directeur / Co-Director
Centre de recherche sur les services éducatifs / Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services
Chaire de recherche facultaire en santé mentale communautaire et l'itinérance /
Faculty Research Chair in Community Mental Health and Homelessness
Faculté des sciences sociales / Faculty of Social Sciences
Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Vanier Hall, 5002J
Ottawa, ON
K1N 6N5
Tel.: 613-562-5800 x 4815
Fax: 613-562-5188
http://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/psy/eng/profdetails.asp?id=137

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