Pathways to Homelessness of Homeless Women in Chile

Abstract

Homeless women in Chile live in high-risk situations; however, little research exists about how they face homelessness. This dissertation helps address this information gap through the inquiry into the question about what are the pathways to homelessness of homeless women in Chile? For this, a mixed-method research design has been used. The quantitative data were obtained from the Annex Questionnaire for homeless people of the Social Registry of Household, Government of Chile, updated to March 31, 2019, while the Qualitative information was obtained by conducting in-depth interviews with 4 homeless women and professionals who have worked with them in the context of their participation in social programs. The findings showed three main results: (1) The paths to homelessness for women in Chile begins with residential instability and individual adjustment to deal with it. (2) Residential instability transforms into homelessness through an extended accumulation of disadvantages and loss of significant resources and social networks. (3) Women's homelessness, even though it may become permanent or chronic, is cyclical with many entries and exits within a permanent context of residential instability.