The Association between Housing Stability and Perceived Quality of Life among Emerging Adults with a History of Homelessness

Abstract

Many cities across the United States are experiencing homelessness at crisis levels, including rises in the number of unhoused emerging adults (18–25). Emerging adults experiencing homelessness may be at higher risk of experiencing negative outcomes, given that being unhoused increases risk for a variety of behaviors. To better understand the current living circumstances of emerging adults with a history of homelessness, as well as their perceptions about associations between housing stability and quality of life (QOL), we conducted 30 semistructured in-depth interviews with individuals recruited from drop-in centers for youth experiencing homelessness. At the time of recruitment, n = 19 were stably housed and n = 11 were unstably housed. Two coders analyzed these data inductively and deductively, using preidentified domains and open coding. Coding reliability was assessed. Three main themes emerged, each with subthemes: (1) housing quality (neighborhood safety, convenience, and housing unit characteristics); (2) QOL before stable housing (physical and mental wellbeing, social wellbeing, and other determinants of QOL, such as encounters with law enforcement); and (3) changes in QOL after stable housing (same subthemes as for prehousing stability QOL). Findings indicated a pattern of perceived relationships between housing stability, housing quality, built and social environments, and QOL in the context of emerging adults who experienced or continued to experience homelessness. However, results were mixed with regard to the perceived effects of housing stability on alcohol and other drug use. Taken together, results indicate several areas of challenge but also highlight opportunities to facilitate improvements in QOL among vulnerable emerging adults who experience homelessness.