Looking back on childhood experiences of homelessness: Stories of ongoing residential instability and resilience
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Overview
Qualitative interviews reveal young adults' ongoing housing instability and resilience from childhood homelessness, suggesting policy improvements.
Key Points
This study aims to understand young adults' retrospective experiences of homelessness during childhood, focusing on their resilience and ongoing challenges.
Conducted qualitative interviews with 22 young adults who experienced homelessness as children.
Participants were recruited from 16 homeless shelters across 10 states, originally identified by the Family Options Study in 2010-2012.
Examined themes comparing young adults' perspectives to their parents' earlier reports.
Young adults shared positive social relationships during various housing situations despite ongoing instability.
Reported challenges such as experiences of racism in housing programs and unwanted moves imposed by landlords.
Findings highlight the importance of coping mechanisms and resilience within families facing hardship.