Family support for individual homeless adults

Abstract

This article presents original interview data from people who are related to recently homeless adults. People with a recently homeless relative indicated that they provide multiple types of support for their homeless adult relatives, and that providing such support can be a burden requiring a broader base of social support for families. The challenges facing members of families who have a homeless relative are compounded when their homeless relatives experience psychiatric disorders. However, there are some unexpected positive consequences to these difficult situations. Families can be a resilient resource for many homeless adults, despite burdens, complementing formal systems of support.