Estimation of Utility Values for Computing Quality-adjusted Life Years Associated With Homelessness

There is a lack of data-driven evidence about the burden of homelessness, and lack of a holistic measure of effectiveness for evaluating interventions targeting homelessness. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) can help holistically capture the burden of homelessness, and facilitate the valuation and comparison of interventions designed to address homelessness.

This study estimated utility values required to compute the QALYs associated with homelessness, and also examined individual-level characteristics that affect these values.

The study is cross-sectional and derived from a large national survey conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

A sample of 6607 middle- and low-income adults in the United States.

A self-completion standard gamble survey was used to estimate utility values associated with homelessness. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between individual-level characteristics and these utility values.

The study estimated the average utility value associated with homelessness as 43.4% among the study participants. This implies that 1 year of life as a homeless individual is perceived to be equivalent to less than half a year of life as a stably housed individual in good health. The study also found that individuals who have experienced homelessness and financial distress value life as a homeless person considerably less than those who have not had these experiences.

The method developed in this study can be used to estimate QALYs in studies evaluating homelessness interventions, thereby establishing the societal value of these interventions and informing policy and budgetary decision-making. Future studies estimating the utility values associated with homelessness in the general population, as well as specific homeless groups, are required to provide more generalizable evidence.