Table 1 Characteristics of Vancouver At Home participants randomized to Housing First (n = 297)
Variable | n (%) / mean (SD) |
|---|---|
Socio-demographics | |
Age at randomization | |
< 25 years | 22 (7.4) |
25–44 years | 171 (57.6) |
> 44 years | 104 (35.0) |
Gender | |
Woman | 77 (26.0) |
Man | 219 (74.0) |
Ethnicity | |
Indigenous | 51 (17.2) |
White | 173 (58.2) |
Other | 73 (24.6) |
Education | |
Less than high school | 173 (58.8) |
High school or higher | 121 (41.2) |
Marital Status | |
Single (never married) | 205 (69.5) |
Other | 90 (30.5) |
Homelessness | |
Age of first homeless | |
< 25 years | 128 (43.7) |
≥ 25 years | 165 (56.3) |
Lifetime duration of homelessness | |
≤ 36 months | 145 (49.5) |
> 36 months | 148 (50.5) |
Longest episode of homelessness | |
≤ 12 months | 141 (48.1) |
> 12 months | 152 (51.9) |
Housing status (at enrollment) | |
Absolutely homeless | 232 (78.1) |
Precariously housed | 65 (21.9) |
Criminal justice (past 6 months) | |
Arrested (> 1), imprisoned (≥1), on probation, or received community sanction | |
No | 161 (54.2) |
Yes | 136 (45.8) |
Spent at least one night in jail | |
No | 256 (86.2) |
Yes | 41 (13.8) |
Mental illness, learning disability, and community functioning | |
Mental health symptom severity (Colorado Symptom Index score) | |
Mean (SD) | 36.6 (12.8) |
Less severe cluster of mental disorders | |
No | 147 (49.5) |
Yes | 150 (50.5) |
Severe cluster of mental disorders | |
No | 75 (25.2) |
Yes | 222 (74.8) |
Learning disability in childhood (you perceived) | |
No | 190 (64.0) |
Yes | 107 (36.0) |
Learning disability in childhood (someone told you) | |
No | 191 (64.3) |
Yes | 106 (35.7) |
Community functioning (Multnomah Community Ability Scale score) | |
Mean (SD) | 55.2 (9.5) |
Family separation and adverse childhood experiences | |
Lived away from parents for any reason under the age of 181 | |
No | 110 (40.1) |
Yes | 164 (59.9) |
Ever placed in foster care2 | |
No | 190 (69.3) |
Yes | 84 (30.7) |
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE)3 | |
Mean (SD) | 3.8 (2.7) |
Substance use (past month) | |
Use of alcohol | |
No | 164 (55.6) |
Yes | 131 (44.4) |
Use of heroin | |
No | 240 (81.4) |
Yes | 55 (18.6) |
Use of illicit methadone | |
No | 283 (95.9) |
Yes | 12 (4.1) |
Use of benzodiazepines | |
No | 268 (91.2) |
Yes | 26 (8.8) |
Use of cocaine | |
No | 245 (83.1) |
Yes | 50 (16.9) |
Use of crack | |
No | 197 (66.8) |
Yes | 98 (33.2) |
Use of amphetamine | |
No | 254 (86.7) |
Yes | 39 (13.3) |
Use of cannabis | |
No | 148 (55.0) |
Yes | 121 (45.0) |
Injected drugs | |
No | 239 (81.6) |
Yes | 54 (18.4) |
Daily substance use (including alcohol) | |
No | 211 (71.5) |
Yes | 84 (28.5) |
Daily drug use (excluding alcohol) | |
No | 218 (73.9) |
Yes | 77 (26.1) |
Daily hard drug use (excluding alcohol & cannabis) | |
No | 251 (85.1) |
Yes | 44 (14.9) |
Money spent on alcohol (CAD) | |
Mean (SD) | 60.0 (164.5) |
Money spent on drugs (CAD) | |
Mean (SD) | 331.3 (852.9) |
Other | |
Sex work-related income (past month) | |
No | 282 (94.9) |
Yes | 15 (5.1) |
Type of Housing First intervention | |
Housing First with intensive case management | 100 (33.7) |
Housing First with assertive community treatment | 90 (30.3) |
Congregate housing with on-site support | 107 (36.0) |