All Alone : Antecedents of Chronic Homelessness

Public assistance programs are the primary interface with individuals experiencing homelessness. Roughly a quarter of LA County's population receives some form of public assistance, including those who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness. Public assistance programs can be a catalyst for connecting at-risk and homeless recipients with crucial services and reducing the massive public costs associated with chronic homelessness. The vital role is to identify tripwire events among all recipients, particularly children and transition-age youth, and quickly connect at-risk individuals with needed employment, behavioral health and housing services provided by other organizations.Extended participation in cash benefit public assistance programs is more frequent among recipients with childhood experiences of homelessness. Experiences of homelessness while transitioning from childhood to adulthood are associated with reduced employment rates and highly elevated rates of disabilities for both women and men. Mental health and substance abuse services are scarce for the population of single adult males with extended dependence on public assistance, which is at highest risk of chronic homelessness