The use of hotels/motels to address homelessness among veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from the supportive services for veteran families program
APA Citation:
Montgomery, A. E., Zickmund, S., Byrne, T. H., Galyean, P., Suo, Y., Pettey, W., Velasquez, T., Gelberg, L., Kertesz, S. G., Tsai, J., & Nelson, R. E. (2023). The use of hotels/motels to address homelessness among veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from the supportive services for veteran families program. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2023.2187522
Focus:
Veterans
Programming
Other
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Subject Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Aged (65 yrs & older)
Authors:
Montgomery, Ann Elizabeth, Zickmund, Susan, Byrne, Thomas H., Galyean, Patrick, Suo, Ying, Pettey, Warren, Velasquez, Tania, Gelberg, Lillian, Kertesz, Stefan G., Tsai, Jack, Nelson, Richard E.
Abstract:
The objective of this exploratory mixed methods study is to assess the use of hotels/motels among Veterans experiencing housing instability during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform policy and programmatic responses to homelessness during such emergencies. We analyzed qualitative interviews conducted with national-level homeless services leadership and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program providers during October 2020–May 2021 and quantitative data for Veterans who enrolled in SSVF during March–August 2020. A multivariable two-part regression model identified factors associated with receiving hotel/motel-specific financial assistance and associated costs. Qualitative interviews indicated that the use of hotels/motels during COVID-19 offered protection from a contagious disease and a novel mechanism to accommodate high-need Veterans who may have previously been unsheltered or resistant to services. Quantitative analyses found that Veteran households’ stays in hotels/motels increased sharply following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; this assistance tended to flow to a more vulnerable group (i.e. older, no income, and extensive histories of homelessness). COVID-19 and homelessness are ongoing public health concerns; strategies such as the use of hotels/motels to reduce homelessness and ensure safe options for isolation and quarantine are needed to prevent poor health outcomes for a vulnerable population.
Publication Type:
Article
Keywords:
COVID-19, emergency housing, hotels, interventions