“Hot or cold, I was still suffering”: A Qualitative Investigation of the Weather-Related Experiences of Unhoused Youth Aged 18 – 24 Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

It is estimated that anywhere between 38,170 to 3.5 million youth are experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States, including up to 35,516 in the state of Georgia. Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) have limited shelter options and are therefore at high risk for harms related to environmental exposure. Limited research exists on the weather-related experiences of YEH. This study conducted 15 interviews with YEH aged 18-24 living in Atlanta, Georgia to better understand how this population perceives and manages weather-related hazards. A total of eight overarching themes were identified across two domains: Weather Appraisal and Dealing with Weather. The four themes within the Weather Appraisal domain were: Homeless and Environmental Vulnerability are One and the Same; Cold as a Primary Concern; Heat is Easier to Manage but is Still a Hazard; Any type of Weather is a Hazard to YEH. Two subthemes identified for Homelessness and Environmental Vulnerability are One and the Same theme included: Housing and Material Precarity and Psychological Vulnerability. Within the Dealing with Weather domain, four themes emerged: Self-Reliance, Utilization of the Built Environment, Support from Others, and Vulnerable yet Tenacious. Participants demonstrated significant perseverance in facing weather and other challenges while experiencing homelessness, yet the ubiquity and unpredictability of weather meant even weather that might otherwise be considered mild to housed individuals could pose a threat to YEH. These findings indicate the utility of a strength-based perspective, which supplements the resources YEH have at their disposal, when designing public health interventions for YEH. Individuals with lived experience of homelessness should be meaningfully included in the conceptualization, strategizing, designing, and implementation of efforts that make life safer for YEH at all times of the year.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction. 1

1.1 Introduction and Rationale. 1

1.1.1 Youth Homelessness. 1

1.1.2 Homelessness, Weather, and Climate Change. 4

1.2 Purpose Statement 6

1.3 Theoretical Framework. 8

1.4 Research Question. 9

1.5 Significance Statement 10

1.6 Definition of Terms. 11

Homelessness. 11

Youth Homelessness. 12

Youth Experiencing Homelessness (YEH) 14

Homeless Service Organization (HSO) 14

Terminology Use Throughout this Thesis. 14

Chapter II: Literature Review.. 15

2.1 Environmental Vulnerability and Homelessness. 15

2.2 Homelessness, Environmental Hazards, and Climate Change. 19

2.3 Weather-Related Experiences among People Experiencing Homelessness. 24

2.3.1 Experiences of Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather, and Environmental Hazards. 24

2.3.2 Responses to Weather-Related Exposures Among People Experiencing Homelessness. 29

2.4 Theoretical Framework. 33

2.5 Conclusion. 35

Chapter III: Student Contribution. 38

3.1 Description of Student Contribution. 38

3.1.1 Introduction. 38

3.1.2 Study Design. 40

3.1.3 Study Context & Planning. 41

3.1.4 Data Collection Instruments. 43

3.1.5 Data Collection Procedures. 44

3.1.6 Data Analysis Methodology. 47

3.1.7 Reflexivity Statement 49

Chapter IV: Journal Article. 53

Introduction. 55

Homelessness, Weather, and Climate. 55

Homelessness and Weather Experiences. 56

Guiding Theory. 59

Methods. 59

Sample and Recruitment 59

Data Collection. 60

Ethical Approval 61

Data Analysis. 61

Results. 63

Weather Appraisal 65

Dealing with Weather 70

Discussion. 78

Chapter V: Public Health Implications. 82

Weather Appraisal 82

Homelessness and Environmental Vulnerability are One and the Same. 82

Cold as a Primary Concern. 85

Heat is Easier to Manage, but is Still a Hazard. 85

Any Type of Weather can be a Hazard to Youth Experiencing Homelessness. 86

Dealing with Weather 86

Self-Reliance. 86

Utilization of Built Environment 87

Support from Others. 88

Vulnerable yet Tenacious. 88

Limitations. 90

Strengths. 90

Future Directions. 91

Conclusion. 92

References. 93

Appendix. 110

Appendix A.. 110

Appendix B.. 112

Appendix C.. 113

Appendix D.. 116

About this Master's Thesis

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• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Sociology, Environmental Justice Environmental Health
Keyword	Weather Intersectionality Climate change Housing Youth homelessness Environmental hazards Environmental justice Climate and health Transactional model of stress and coping
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Anna Rubtsova, PhD, Emory University
Committee Members	Saria Hassan, MD, Emory University John Graham, PhD, University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus

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