Safer Outside: A Qualitative Exploration of Homeless People's Resistance to Homeless Shelters

Unsheltered or “street” homeless are an under-researched subset of the homeless population although they account for 37% of the total number of homeless people. The current study examines the lives of homeless people who reside in camps in the woods of East Orange County, Florida. Data for this study were collected via five focus groups with a total of 39 unsheltered homeless people. It is clear from this research that unsheltered homeless people have unique needs that differ from those of the sheltered homeless and that social services will need to change many aspects of the way services are provided to address these unique needs.