1. Sustaining Environments, Adaptation, and Resistance: Place-dependent Experiences of Homelessness in Los Angeles.
- Author
-
DeVerteuil, Geoff, Marr, Matthew D., and Snow, David
- Subjects
HOMELESSNESS ,ETHNICITY ,RACE ,INTERNATIONAL economic assistance ,COMMUNITY support - Abstract
In this paper, we examine how socio-economic features of neighborhoods shape sustaining environments and thus impact the adaptation and resistance strategies of persons experiencing homelessness in greater Los Angeles County. First, we conduct a cluster analysis of Los Angeles's census tracks based on socioeconomic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, receipt of welfare, poverty, immigration, housing conditions, and education to distinguish three types of sustaining environments. These are prime spaces occupied by largely white, high-income, well-educated and native-born inhabitants; marginal spaces occupied by largely non-white, high-immigrant, low-education and low-income inhabitants; and transitional areas are the 'in-between' areas of lower-middle class inhabitants. Next, we analyze how services used by persons experiencing homelessness are distributed according to type of sustaining environment. We find marginal spaces to be the most concentrated with such services, reflecting the power of community opposition to segregate services for the homeless. We then examine how survival strategies and resistance to homelessness of 25 persons distributed throughout the County are varied and shaped by type of sustaining environment. We find experiences of homelessness to be patterned according to type of sustaining environment-with informants in prime spaces primarily white, middle-aged, with few vulnerabilities, and living on the street and receiving welfare episodically; informants in transitional spaces nonwhite, middle aged, receiving government aid, and engaging in shadow work; and informants in marginal spaces nonwhite, younger, receiving government aid, and living in a shelter. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006