CHICAGO HOMELESS STUDY. "Literally homeless"--lacking customary access to a conventional dwelling (Not included, although many times more numerous: "precariously housed") Two-part stratified probability sample: Sample of Homeless Shelters Residents at closing time presumed homeless. Sample of Residents interviewed. Sample of City Blocks Searched between 1 and 6 am by teams of two interviewers, two police officers instructed to enter all accessible places, screen all persons encountered ($1), [9% were homeless, 91% were not] interview the homeless ($5). Place of Interview 55% Shelters (39% in fall 1985, 74% in winter 1986) 20% Public buildings 8% Sidewalks, streets, alleys 1% Abandoned buildings .4 Parks .4% Under bridges or viaducts .1% Parked cars, vans, trucks 15% Location not noted (pretest interviews) Gender: 75.5% male Ethnicity: % of homeless % of total population Black 53.0 35.5 American Indian 5.1 0.1 Hispanic 6.9 14.0 White 30.7 55.1 Last month's income 18.1% reported none median was $99.85 Percent who reported any income from sources: Employment 31.6 General assistance 22.1* Handouts 20.6 Friends 14.9 Family, relatives 10.2 ... Supplemental security 6.8 Social Security 6.8 AFDC 6.3 Disability 4.2 Unemployment ins. 1.6 * Almost all were eligible; Illinois requires only income below $154 per month and no assets; there are no residence requirements and no permanent address requirements. How long since last held steady job for more than three months? median was 40.0 months Length of time currently homeless 12.7% under 2 months median 7.6 months 25.0% over 24 months Not in contact with any relatives 33.3% relatives or friends 23.7% Health poor or fair (not good or excellent) Chicago homeless 36.6% National sample 18.0% Institutionalization Detoxification 32.2% Mental hospital 23.1 Prison 16.6 Jail 40.7 Probation 28.3 Multiple health, mental health, and crime problems 0 17.2% 1 23.7% 2 26.9% 3 12.0% 4 10.2% 5+ 9.9% SOURCES: Rossi, Peter H. 1988. "Minorities and Homelessness." Ch. 4, pp. 87-115 in: Sandefur, Gary D. and Marta Tienda, eds. 1988. Divided Opportunities: Minorities, Poverty, and Social Policy. New York: Plenum Press. Rossi, Peter H. 1989. Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.