Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

This brief from the ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), looks at whether family characteristics can identify repeated or persistent experiences of homelessness before and after a shelter stay. OPRE analyzed data of 2,282 families from the larger Family Options Study to determine if practitioners in the field can identify families who will experience repeated or persistent homelessness and thus will need additional support.

This brief, from the ACF Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), compares participation rates in benefit programs of families in the Family Options Study with those of families in poverty from the same counties using American Community survey data. The authors found that families staying in emergency shelter are connected to benefit programs at similar or higher rates than other families in poverty in the same communities. This brief presents some evidence that continued housing instability makes families susceptible to either losing or difficulty accessing public benefits.