Homeless alcoholic women on skid row

Studies of homeless alcoholic women remain rare. Women on Skid Row in New York City were sought out at the Women's Shelter for a study of homeless women alcoholics. The findings in this study of 31 homeless alcoholic women tend to confirm an earlier study by Garrett and Bahr in most respects. A major difference relates to the population's lack of homogeneity. A life-long pattern of marginality does not exist for most of the women. All judged to be alcoholic, some lived with their families, husbands, or a male partner prior to coming to the shelter. Almost a third lived alone. Sometimes the death of someone close or other crisis precipitated homelessness. In many instances there was no apparent crisis. For a substantial group of these women there did seem to be a long-standing pattern of instability and transient living in the two years preceding their move to the shelter. Public resources invested in shelter care are much needed either for individuals whose limited resources run out or where a crisis results in the loss of safe, adequate shelter.