The Impact of Shelter Use and Housing Placement on Mortality Hazard for Unaccompanied Adults and Adults in Family Households Entering New York City Shelters: 1990–2002

This study examines mortality among New York City (NYC) homeless shelter users, assessing the relationships between mortality hazard and time in shelter, patterns of homelessness, and subsequent housing exits for both adults in families and single adults. Administrative records from the NYC shelter system were matched with death records from the Social Security Administration for 160,525 persons. Crude mortality rates and life tables were calculated, and survival analyses were undertaken using these data. Life expectancy was 64.2 and 68.6 years for single adult males and single adult females, respectively, and among adults in families, life expectancy was 67.2 and 70.1 years for males and females, respectively. For both groups, exits to stable housing (subsidized or non-subsidized) were associated with reduced mortality hazard. And while mortality hazard was substantially reduced for the time adults were in shelters, extended shelter use patterns were associated with increased mortality hazard. Differences between single homelessness and family homelessness extend to disparities in mortality rates. Although causal links cannot be established here, results suggest that, for both subgroups of the homeless population, prompt resolution of homelessness and availability of housing interventions may contribute to reduced mortality.     

Risks of drug-related death, suicide, and homicide during the immediate post-release period among people released from New York City jails, 2001-2005

The authors assessed the risks of drug-related death, suicide, and homicide after release from New York City jails in 155,272 people who were incarcerated anytime from 2001 through 2005 and examined whether the mortality rate was associated with homelessness. Using jail records matched with death and single-adult homeless registries in New York City, they calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and relative risks. After adjustment for age, sex, race, and neighborhood, the risks of drug-related death and homicide in formerly incarcerated persons were 2 times higher than those of New York City residents who had not been incarcerated in New York City jails during the study period. These relative risks were greatly elevated during the first 2 weeks after release (for drug-related causes, SMR = 8.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.2, 11.8; for homicide, SMR = 5.1, 95% CI: 3.2, 7.8). Formerly incarcerated people with histories of homelessness had higher rates of drug-related death (RR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.1, 5.5) and suicide (RR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.4) than did persons without such histories. For individuals who died of drug-related causes, longer jail stays were associated with a shorter time until death after release. These results suggest that jail- and community-based interventions are needed to reduce the excess mortality risk among formerly incarcerated people.     

A population-based assessment of the health of homeless families in New York City, 2001-2003

Objectives. We compared estimated population-based health outcomes for New York City (NYC) homeless families with NYC residents overall and in low-income neighborhoods.Methods. We matched a NYC family shelter user registry to mortality, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and blood lead test registries maintained by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2001–2003).Results. Overall adult age-adjusted death rates were similar among the 3 populations. HIV/AIDS and substance-use deaths were 3 and 5 times higher for homeless adults than for the general population; only substance-use deaths were higher than for low-income adults. Children who experienced homelessness appeared to be at an elevated risk of mortality (41.3 vs 22.5 per 100 000; P < .05). Seven in 10 adult and child deaths occurred outside shelter. Adult HIV/AIDS diagnosis rates were more than twice citywide rates but comparable with low-income rates, whereas tuberculosis rates were 3 times higher than in both populations. Homeless children had lower blood lead testing rates and a higher proportion of lead levels over 10 micrograms per deciliter than did both comparison populations.Conclusions. Morbidity and mortality levels were comparable between homeless and low-income adults; homeless children''s slightly higher risk on some measures possibly reflects the impact of poverty and poor-quality, unstable housing.Most studies examining the health of homeless populations have involved single adults and have identified higher rates of death, tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, mental health disorders, substance use, poor birth outcomes, and cardiovascular disease than in the general population.^1–7 Whether these findings can be generalized to homeless families is not known, as the 2 populations differ greatly. Nationally, homeless families overwhelmingly consist of a young female head of household with children, whereas single homeless adults are mostly men aged 31 to 50 years.⁸ Homeless families are also distinct in their reasons for becoming homeless, citing poverty more often and substance use and mental illness less often than is the case for their single adult counterparts.⁹ Based on their demographic and socioeconomic profiles, the health of homeless families may be more like that of other low-income families than that of homeless single adults.Recent economic conditions have led to a rise in the number of homeless families nationwide. Although overall US homelessness held fairly constant from 2007 to 2008, the number of homeless families increased by 9%. According to the latest available national data, an estimated 516 700 adults and children were sheltered as families over a 1-year period in 2008, constituting roughly a third of the overall sheltered homeless population during that time.⁸ More recent data from a sampling of localities found that, as of September 2009, the count of sheltered families had increased 10% from the previous quarter, as foreclosure and unemployment rates continued to rise.¹⁰In New York City (NYC), the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) supplies apartment-style shelters and support services such as childcare, housing assistance, and health care referral to homeless families. Because the city provides emergency shelter to eligible families, virtually all homeless families use shelter facilities. In 7 years of an annual count of street homeless, a family has never been found on the street.¹¹ A small share of homeless families is sheltered by city agencies other than DHS. However, analyses based on DHS shelter registry likely include the vast majority of the NYC homeless family population.Our objective was to systematically characterize the health of adults and children who used the NYC family shelter system. We matched the DHS family shelter registry with 4 health registries managed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and we compared estimates of morbidity and mortality in the homeless family population with those of the NYC general and lowest-income neighborhood populations.     

Risk factors for long-term homelessness: findings from a longitudinal study of first-time homeless single adults

OBJECTIVES: We examined risk factors for long-term homelessness among newly homeless men and women who were admitted to New York City shelters in 2001 and 2002. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 377 study participants upon entry into the shelter and at 6-month intervals for 18 months. Standardized assessments of psychiatric diagnosis, symptoms, and coping skills; social and family history; and service use were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to examine the association between baseline assessments and duration of homelessness. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent of participants returned to community housing during the follow-up period; the median duration of homelessness was 190 days. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a shorter duration of homelessness was associated with younger age, current or recent employment, earned income, good coping skills, adequate family support, absence of a substance abuse treatment history, and absence of an arrest history. Cox regression showed that older age group P<.05) and arrest history (P<.01) were the strongest predictors of a longer duration of homelessness. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of risk factors for long-term homelessness can guide efforts to reduce lengths of stay in homeless shelters and to develop new preventive interventions.     

Risk factors for homelessness among indigent urban adults with no history of psychotic illness: a case-control study

OBJECTIVES: This study identified risk factors for homelessness among indigent urban adults without dependent children and with no history of psychotic illness. METHODS: We conducted a matched case-control study, stratified by sex, of 200 newly homeless men and women and 200 indigent men and women with no history of homelessness. Newly homeless case subjects were recruited from shelter assessment centers in New York City. Never-homeless control subjects, selected from public assistance centers, were single adults applying for home relief. Control subjects were matched with case subjects according to ethnicity, age, and sex. Trained interviewers employed standardized research instruments to probe 3 domains of risk factors: symptom severity and substance use disorder, family support and functioning, and prior use of services. RESULTS: Significant interaction effects by sex were present for symptom severity, heroin use disorder, and prior service use. Greater numbers of the homeless of both sexes lacked a high school diploma and had less income from all sources, including from their families, than of the never homeless. CONCLUSIONS: Newly homeless men and women with no history of psychotic illness differed from their never-homeless counterparts in the 3 domains investigated, but socioeconomic factors were also important.     

Cardiovascular mortality of Chinese in New York City

To determine cardiovascular disease mortality among Chinese migrants in New York City and compare it to both that of residents in China and whites in New York City, mortality records for 1988 through 1992 for New York City and the 1990 US census data for New York City were linked. Age-specific death rates for urban China, reported by the World Health Organization, were used for comparison. The results show that male and female Chinese residents in New York City had lower mortality rates for all causes and total cardiovascular disease than did either New York City whites or Chinese in China. Coronary heart disease deaths among New York City Chinese were intermediate between Chinese in China (lowest) and New York City whites (highest). Stroke death rates for New York City Chinese were substantially lower than those in China and, in general, were similar to those for New York City whites. However, New York City Chinese had higher death rates for hemorrhagic stroke and lower for atherosclerotic stroke than did New York City whites. In conclusion, cardiovascular mortality rates among Chinese migrants in New York City fall below those of both Chinese in China and whites in New York City.     

Predictors of homelessness among families in New York City: from shelter request to housing stability.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined predictors of entry into shelter and subsequent housing stability for a cohort of families receiving public assistance in New York City. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 266 families as they requested shelter and with a comparison sample of 298 families selected at random from the welfare caseload. Respondents were reinterviewed 5 years later. Families with prior history of shelter use were excluded from the follow-up study. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics and housing conditions were the most important risk factors for shelter entry; enduring poverty and disruptive social experiences also contributed. Five years later, four fifths of sheltered families had their own apartment. Receipt of subsidized housing was the primary predictor of housing stability among formerly homeless families (odds ratio [OR] = 20.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.9, 42.9). CONCLUSIONS: Housing subsidies are critical to ending homelessness among families.     

Trends in reporting of maternal drug abuse and infant mortality among drug-exposed infants in New York City

New York City trends in maternal drug abuse during pregnancy and in mortality rates for infants with in utero drug exposure are reported; causes of death among drug-exposed infants are studied, as is the association between maternal drug abuse and other factors that contribute to infant mortality (e.g., low birthweight, lack of prenatal care). Data for this study are derived from the linked files of New York City birth and infant death certificates. Reports of infants born to drug abusing mothers increased from 6.7 per 1000 live births in 1981 to 20.3 per 1000 live births in 1987, with abuse of cocaine accounting for most of the rise. When standardized for race and ethnicity, the mortality rate for drug-exposed infants born from 1978 through 1986 was 35.9, or 2.4 times that for infants in New York City in general. Drug-exposed infants were over three times as likely as infants in the general population to be of low birthweight. The association of both opiates and cocaine with increased mortality and low birthweight was similar. Death rates from SIDS and AIDS were especially higher for drug-exposed infants than for those in the general population, and were similar for opiate- and cocaine-exposed infants. The impact of drug abuse on infant mortality rates in selected low socioeconomic health districts is discussed.     

Is homelessness hazardous to your health? Obstacles to the demonstration of a causal relationship

BACKGROUND: Homeless people suffer from high levels of morbidity and mortality, but there is surprisingly little empiric evidence that homelessness has a direct adverse effect on health. METHODS: This study examined the relationship between shelter use and risk of death using longitudinal data in a cohort of 8,769 homeless men in Toronto, Ontario. Shelter use was modelled as a time-dependent covariate in a Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: In a model adjusted for age and previous pattern of homelessness, the risk of death during months in which homeless shelters were used was significantly increased (hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.67). CONCLUSIONS: Among men, periods of homeless shelter use are associated with higher mortality. There are three reasons why this finding does not necessarily mean that homelessness itself increases the risk of death. First, the hazard of death associated with shelter use compared to non-shelter use may be significantly different from that associated with homelessness compared to non-homelessness. Second, the association between shelter use and risk of death may be confounded by other variables such as alcohol and drug use. Finally, because the mechanism and time-course of the putative effect of homelessness on health is uncertain, appropriate modelling of the time-dependent covariate is difficult to ensure. Further research into the possible adverse effects of homelessness on health is needed and would have important implications for public policy.     

Differential mortality in New York City (1988-1992). Part One: excess mortality among non-Hispanic blacks.

To determine the distribution of mortality for non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites in New York City, death certificates issued in New York City during 1988 through 1992, and the relevant 1990 US census data for New York City, have been examined. Age-adjusted death rates for blacks and whites by gender and cause of death were computed based on the US population in 1940. Also, standard mortality ratios and excess mortality were calculated using the New York City mortality rate as reference. The results showed that New York City blacks had higher age-adjusted death rates than whites regardless of cause, including stroke, AIDS, homicide, and diabetes. The rate for New York City blacks was also higher than the US total for both genders. Using New York City mortality rates as a reference, more than 80% of excess deaths in blacks occurred before age 65. Injury/poisoning was the leading cause of excess death (20.1%) in black males, while in black females, cardiovascular disease was the largest single cause of excess deaths (24.8%). The higher death rates, especially premature death, of blacks in New York City are related to conditions such as violence, substance abuse, and AIDS, for which prevention rather than medical care is the more likely solution, as well as to cardiovascular diseases, where both prevention through behavioral change, and health and medical care, can influence outcome.     

Differential mortality in New York City (1988-1992). Part Two: excess mortality in the south Bronx.

To display the extent of variations in mortality according to geographic regions in New York City, we have compared mortality in New York City as a whole with that of the South Bronx. Mortality records for 1988 to 1992 and 1990 US census data for New York City were linked. The 471,000 residents of the South Bronx were younger, less educated, and more likely to lack health insurance than other New Yorkers. Using age- and gender-stratified populations and mortality in New York City as standards, age-adjusted death rates and excess mortality in the South Bronx were determined. All-cause mortality in the South Bronx was 26% higher than the city as a whole. Mortality for AIDS, injury and poisoning, drug and alcohol abuse, and cardiovascular diseases were 50% to 100% higher in the South Bronx than in New York City; years of potential life lost before age 65 in the South Bronx were 41.6% and 44.2% higher for men and women, respectively, than in New York City; AIDS accounted for the largest single share of excess premature deaths (21.8%). In summary, inequalities in health status, reflected by higher mortality rates in the South Bronx, are consistent with, and perhaps caused by, lower socioeconomic status and deficient medical care among residents of this inner-city community.     

The co-occurrence of AIDS and homelessness: results from the integration of administrative databases for AIDS surveillance and public shelter utilisation in Philadelphia

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Administrative databases from the City of Philadelphia that track public shelter utilisation (n=44 337) and AIDS case reporting (n=7749) were merged to identify rates and risk factors for co-occurring homelessness and AIDS. DESIGN: Multiple decrement life tables analyses were conducted, and logistic regression analyses used to identify risk factors associated with AIDS among the homeless, and homelessness among people with AIDS. SETTING: City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. MAIN RESULTS: People admitted to public shelters had a three year rate of subsequent AIDS diagnosis of 1.8 per 100 person years; nine times the rate for the general population of Philadelphia. Logistic regression results show that substance abuse history (OR = 3.14), male gender (OR = 2.05), and a history of serious mental disorder (OR = 1.62) were significantly related to the risk for AIDS diagnosis among shelter users. Among people with AIDS, results show a three year rate of subsequent shelter admission of 6.9 per 100 person years, and a three year rate of prior shelter admission of 9%, three times the three year rate of shelter admission for the general population. Logistic regression results show that intravenous drug user history (OR = 3.14); no private insurance (OR = 2.93); black race (OR = 2.82); pulmonary or extra-pulmonary TB (OR = 1.43); and pneumocystis pneumonia (OR = 0.56) were all related to the risk for shelter admission. CONCLUSIONS: Homelessness prevention programmes should target people with HIV risk factors, and HIV prevention programmes should be targeted to homeless persons, as these populations have significant intersection. Reasons and implications for this intersection are discussed.     

Nemesis revisited: tuberculosis infection in a New York City men's shelter.

In November 1990, a screening was conducted to determine the point prevalence of tuberculosis infection in a volunteer sample of homeless men (n = 161) living in a congregate shelter in New York City. Of those for whom we have results (n = 134), 79% were positive for tuberculosis. The mean length of shelter stay from date of shelter entry was 31.8 months and was significantly associated with the tuberculosis infection rate. The findings suggest that crowded living conditions and the presence of a stable resident pool in crowded congregate shelters may be associated with transmission of tuberculosis infection.     

Characteristics of a random sample of emergency food program users in New York: II. Soup kitchens.

A random sample of soup kitchen clients in New York City was studied and specific comparisons made on various parameters including homelessness. Compared with the general population of low income persons, soup kitchen users were overwhelmingly male, disproportionately African-American, and more likely to live alone. The homeless (41 percent of the sample) were less likely to receive food stamps or free food, or to use food pantries. Fewer of them received Medicaid or had health insurance. Forty-seven percent had no income in contrast to 29 percent of the total sample.     

Pregnancy and childbirth: risk factors for homelessness?

A comparison of 704 homeless public assistance families in New York City with 524 families on public assistance who had housing found that pregnancy and recent births were highly correlated with becoming homeless. Thirty-five percent of homeless women were pregnant at the time of the interview, and 26 percent had given birth in the past year, compared with six percent and 11 percent, respectively, of women in the housed sample. In addition, having a baby before age 18 (as had 37 percent of the homeless women and 24 percent of the housed women) was significantly related to homelessness but family size was not.     

Assessing homeless population size through the use of emergency and transitional shelter services in 1998: results from the analysis of administrative data from nine US jurisdictions

OBJECTIVES: This study reports findings from the first-ever systematic enumeration of homeless population size using data previously collected from administrative records of homeless services providers in nine US jurisdictions over a one year period. As such, it provides the basis for establishing an ongoing measure of the parameters of the homeless population and for tracking related trends on the use of homeless services over time. METHODS: Each participating jurisdiction collected data through its homeless services management information systems for persons and families who use emergency shelter and transitional housing. The jurisdictions organized the data by a standardized reporting format. These data form the basis for reporting homeless population size, both in raw numbers and as adjusted for each jurisdiction's overall population size, as well as the rate of turnover and average annual length of stay in emergency shelters and transitional housing. RESULTS: Individual jurisdictions had annual rates of sheltered homelessness ranging from 0.1% to 2.1% of their overall population, and 1.3% to 10.2% of their poverty population. Annual population size was 2.5 to 10.2 times greater than the point-prevalent population size. Results are broken down for adults and families. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of homelessness varies greatly among the jurisdictions included in this study, and possible factors for this diversity are discussed. Future reports of this nature will furnish similar series of homeless enumerations across a growing number of jurisdictions, thereby providing a basis for exploring the effects of different contextual factors on local prevalence rates of homelessness.     

Breast Cancer Screening Among Homeless Women of New York City Shelter-Based Clinics

BackgroundMillions of Americans experience homelessness annually. Data on breast cancer screening among homeless women is extremely limited.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study evaluating 100 female patients 50 to 74 years old with at least three visits to two major New York City shelter-based clinics between 2010 and 2012 to evaluate and compare rates and predictors of mammograms in homeless and low-income domicile patients.ResultsOf those we included, 44% were homeless with majority Black and Hispanic. Mean age was 59.28 (±5.84) years. The majority were insured, with 44% smokers and 87% with chronic illnesses. Rates of mammogram within past 2 years were 59% in homeless and 57.1% in low-income domicile patients; 53% did not know the results of their mammogram. Homeless and domicile patients received equal provider counseling. Homeless women were more likely to be uninsured (p < .01). Domicile patients were more likely to have a chronic illness (p < .01). A history of mental illness or substance abuse was not different between the two groups. In logistic regression, provider counseling predicted mammogram (odds ratio, 31.69; 95% CI, 3.76–266.8); race, insurance status, housing status, and history of mental illness or substance abuse did not.ConclusionThe overall low rate of mammogram in this population compared with the national average is alarming. We suggest trained patient navigators to address social barriers and tailored patient education and counseling at any clinical encounter to address misconceptions, along with broader structural approaches to address homelessness.     

The Homeless Child Health Care Inventory: assessing the efficacy of linkages to primary care.

Each year, the New York City homeless family shelter system provides transitional housing for nearly 20,000 homeless children. While the health care needs of these children are substantial, there is currently no system-wide mechanism for ensuring that they have access to appropriate medical care. This report analyzes information from the Homeless Child Health Care Inventory, a survey conducted by Montefiore Medical Center''s Division of Community Pediatrics, to examine the adequacy of health care resources available to the homeless children in New York City. Results showed that available health care resources varied considerably throughout the shelter system and that nearly 50% of homeless children in New York City did not have access to appropriate medical care.     

Colorectal Cancer Screening Among the Homeless Population of New York City Shelter-Based Clinics

Objectives. We determined colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates, predictors, and barriers in 2 major New York City shelter-based clinics.Methods. We extracted screening rates, sociodemographic characteristics, and factors associated with homelessness from medical records of domiciled and homeless patients aged 50 years and older (n = 443) with at least 3 clinic visits between 2010 and 2012.Results. The majority of patients were African American or Hispanic, 76% were male, and 60.7% were homeless (mean = 2.4 years; SD = 2.8 years). Domiciled patients were more likely than homeless patients to be screened (41.3% vs 19.7%; P < .001). Homeless and domiciled patients received equal provider counseling, but more homeless patients declined screening (P < .001). In logistic regression, gender, race, duration of homelessness, insurance status, substance and alcohol abuse, chronic diseases, and mental health were not associated with screening, but housing, provider counseling, and older age were.Conclusions. Proposed interventions to improve CRC screening include respite shelter rooms for colonoscopy prepping, patient navigators to help navigate the health system and accompany patients to and from the procedure, counseling at all clinical encounters, and tailored patient education to address misconceptions.Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the Unites States, with 53 000 largely preventable deaths annually.1,2 CRC screening reduces morbidity and mortality by 60% and is considered the standard of care.3 The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends CRC screening for all adults aged 50 to 75 years and for high-risk adults until age 85 years: a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) once per year, flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years with an FOBT every 3 years, or screening colonoscopy every 10 years.2 Despite recommendations, screening rates for CRC remain lower than for other types of cancer.1Little is known about CRC screening practices in the homeless population,4 but this population is expanding. An estimated 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness each year, and an estimated 633 782 people experience homelessness each night in the United States.5,6 More than 15% of these individuals are chronically homeless, and more than 18% of the homeless are older than 50 years.5,7 This population is aging and has a large component of persons born during the latter part of the baby boom era. Men aged 45 to 54 years are at the highest risk for homelessness, and many of them are veterans.8 These individual are entering their 50s and are due for CRC screening.2,9,10 New York State''s homeless population surpasses the national average, and the rate of chronic homelessness is rising.5 New York City is experiencing an all-time high of homelessness, with more than 28 000 adults sleeping each night in the municipal shelter system11 and approximately 3000 living on the streets.12Barriers to CRC screening include low rates of provider recommendation and patients’ lack of CRC knowledge,13–15 invasiveness, extensive preparation, discomfort, inability to pay for screening or follow-up care or lack of medical insurance,13 lack of trust in physicians, embarrassment, absence of symptoms, and fatalistic views about cancer.16 Screening rates are particularly low in minority and low-income populations, and these groups suffer higher rates of CRC mortality, in part because cancers are detected at a later stage.1,4 Other risk factors for never having or not being up-to-date with screening recommendations are Hispanic ethnicity, low education level, low income, recent immigration status, lack of a primary care physician, and no visit to a physician in the past year.17 Interventions implemented in primary care settings to improve CRC screening rates among racial and ethnic minorities have helped improve rates significantly.18Homeless persons are especially vulnerable and suffer worse health than domiciled ethnic and minority populations. The homeless have high rates of physical illness, mental illness, and substance abuse and are at increased risk for premature death.10,19 They are less likely to have a primary care provider and to adhere to medication regimens.10 Subsistence needs often take priority over health care that is not seen as urgent, such as preventive care. Furthermore, past experiences of discrimination in the health care setting decrease their likelihood of seeking health care again.16,19A considerable portion of nondomiciled Americans would likely benefit from CRC screening. We compared CRC screening rates among a New York City homeless population and an underserved population that used the same health facilities for adherence to USPSTF recommendations and identified predictors of and barriers to screening among the homeless population.