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"I spent my whole life just walking around, trying to find a place to sleep" : describing the experience of youth hidden homelessness Gausvik, Carol Alynn
Abstract
Hidden homelessness is insecurity of tenure or temporary habitation. This can include couch surfing, living in transitional housing, sub-letting, sleeping in vehicles, staying in motels, or staying in places not fit for human habitation. Hidden homelessness is not well understood as it is by nature hidden from researchers, policy-makers, service providers, and the general public. Youth in particular are vulnerable to this type of homelessness. Homelessness puts people at risk for increased health concerns, both physical and mental. It is well known that homelessness costs the social welfare system in terms of emergency, mental health, and correctional service use. While this knowledge is used in addressing street homelessness, less is known about the connection between hidden homelessness and its impacts on these services. To address this knowledge gap, this study sought to answer the question: How do young people who are currently or have previously experienced hidden homelessness describe that experience? This paper reports findings from interviews with six participants who were or are experiencing hidden homelessness. Participants reported experiences of stress, difficulty in school/work, and the need to remain hidden. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
Item Metadata
Title |
"I spent my whole life just walking around, trying to find a place to sleep" : describing the experience of youth hidden homelessness
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2015
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Description |
Hidden homelessness is insecurity of tenure or temporary habitation. This can include couch surfing, living in transitional housing, sub-letting, sleeping in vehicles, staying in motels, or staying in places not fit for human habitation. Hidden homelessness is not well understood as it is by nature hidden from researchers, policy-makers, service providers, and the general public. Youth in particular are vulnerable to this type of homelessness. Homelessness puts people at risk for increased health concerns, both physical and mental. It is well known that homelessness costs the social welfare system in terms of emergency, mental health, and correctional service use. While this knowledge is used in addressing street homelessness, less is known about the connection between hidden homelessness and its impacts on these services. To address this knowledge gap, this study sought to answer the question: How do young people who are currently or have previously experienced hidden homelessness describe that experience? This paper reports findings from interviews with six participants who were or are experiencing hidden homelessness. Participants reported experiences of stress, difficulty in school/work, and the need to remain hidden. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2015-04-16
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0167185
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2015-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Rights URI | |
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada