Understanding Social Support of the Homeless: A Comparison of Single Men, Single Women, and Women with Children

Abstract

This article describes social support networks of a multishelter sample of 162 homeless adults in Central Florida. Participants included homeless single men, single women, and women with children. The purpose of this study was to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between social support and homelessness by examining perceived social support and satisfaction with social support for these three distinct groups. All three groups reported few social supports, but all were fairly satisfied with their identified social support. Findings indicate the more social supports one had, the fewer homeless episodes they experienced. These findings suggest efforts should be made to strengthen existing social supports or to establish alternative social support networks.