Patterns of welfare use among poor and homeless women.

The relationship between demographic, health, and social factors and patterns of welfare use was assessed in a cross-sectional survey of homeless and poor housed women on welfare. Factors associated with long-term welfare and those associated with episodic (as opposed to continuous) welfare use are identified. Implications for welfare reform are discussed in light of findings that highlight the complexity of poor women's lives and the variations in their use of welfare.