In this study, 446 homeless persons were interviewed over a period of 19 months in Richmond, VA. The purpose of the study was to examine profiles of mobile and geographically stable homeless people and to investigate the relative contribution of mobility to present afflictions. Regardless of mobility, profiles of this homeless sample demonstrated that a large proportion have had serious problems. For instance, 30% of the respondents had been in a psychiatric hospital, 25% had been in prison, 40% had been arrested for crime in the past year, and 25% of those arrested for crime had been in alcohol treatment. These findings indicate that the path to homelessness for many is paved with criminal behavior, mental illness, and substance abuse.
Journal