Risks and Assets for Homelessness Prevention: A Literature Review for the Calgary Homeless Foundation

An Executive Summary of this report also exists. This literature review summarizes research, particularly published studies from the past decade or so, that focus on the risk factors, predictors and pathways in and out of homelessness. Unpublished research reports from reputable organization, especially Canadian ones, are also included. The primary focus was on factors that differentiate those that have become absolutely homeless from those that are on the cusp of homelessness, either being relatively homeless, or living in hidden homelessness. As such, the analysis focuses particularly on studies that differentiate between these groups. Notably, in comparison to relatively vast numbers of articles that describe the characteristics of the homeless, relatively few differentiate factors between housed and non-housed individuals. We also searched for articles on resilience and protective factors, again finding relatively few. A final focus of the literature review was studies on the pathways in and out of homelessness. This analysis identifies the assets and resiliencies of those from vulnerable populations who do not become homeless, and highlights protective factors or strategies that could prevent a journey into homelessness. These assets and protective factors form the core of a screening tool (Homelessness Asset and Risk Screening tool – HART) that can be used to identify vulnerability to homelessness in at-risk populations, and those not yet experiencing homelessness, in the hope of providing early interventions. The document presents research first on structural factors that have been causally linked to homelessness and then on individual factors – protective and risk - that affect homeless individuals across the life-span.

Summary Credit:
Homelessness-Related Research Capacities in Alberta: A Comprehensive Environmental Scan, prepared by Dr. Katharina Kovacs Burns, MSc, MHSA, PhD and Dr. Solina Richter, PhD, RN for The Alberta Homelessness Research Consortium (2010)

Publication Date: 
2010
Location: 
Calgary, AB, Canada