The Duration of Sheltered Homelessness

We analyze the factors that influence the length of a completed spell of sheltered homelessness, using administrative data on individuals who stayed in a large regional homeless shelter. We develop a model of homelessness which provides the basis for inferences made from our estimated model. Our estimates provide some support for the predictions of the model and reveal a variety of individual-specific characteristics that increase the length of stay in the shelter. These include the presence of a medical condition, recent release from an institution, a family crisis, age, and gender. We find no evidence that either a history of drug abuse or mental illness has a statistically significant effect on the rate of exit from the shelter. Our results are then used to draw some tentative policy recommendations.

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	Allgood, Sam Professor of Economics Expertise: Economic Education Labor Economics (wages, employment, working conditions, unions) Managerial Economics Public Finance Economics CBA 369 P.O. Box 880489 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0489, USA Phone: (402) 472-3367 Fax: (402) 472-9700 sallgood1@unl.edu	Allgood, Sam	Economics