abstract: 'Research has documented illicit drug users'' participation in the

  informal and drug economies as a result of barriers in obtaining

  legitimate sources of work and income. Less research has explored ways

  drug users utilize income from various sources to obtain shelter and

  meet other basic needs. This paper draws on longitudinal qualitative

  interviews that were conducted with 65 active cocaine or heroin users in

  various housed or homeless statuses to explore participants'' sources of

  income, work experiences, and strategies to secure housing and other

  basic needs. Results indicate that most participants did not receive

  cash welfare benefits, and few had any form of employment. Further,

  those who received federal housing subsidies often had no income to pay

  their part of the rent or other necessities. Participants reported

  engaging in a number of informal, illegal, and bartering relationships

  with drug using and non-drug using residents in order to obtain shelter

  and income. Insufficient social welfare and employment opportunities

  have created a context of scarcity in which drug using and non-drug

  using residents depend on each other to obtain shelter and other needs

  in ways prohibited by federal welfare and housing policies. A number of

  policy changes, including increasing access to and benefits levels of

  welfare and housing subsidies, employment programs for ex-offenders and

  tax incentives to increase employment opportunities, may increase drug

  users'' housing stability.'
affiliation: 'Dickson-Gomez, J (Corresponding Author), Med Coll Wisconsin, Ctr AIDS
  Intervent Res, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA.

  Dickson-Gomez, Julia, Med Coll Wisconsin, Ctr AIDS Intervent Res, Milwaukee, WI
  53226 USA.

  Convey, Mark; Hilario, Helena; Weeks, Margaret R.; Corbett, A. Michelle, Inst Community
  Res, Hartford, CT USA.'
author: Dickson-Gomez, Julia and Convey, Mark and Hilario, Helena and Weeks, Margaret
  R. and Corbett, A. Michelle
author_list:
- family: Dickson-Gomez
  given: Julia
- family: Convey
  given: Mark
- family: Hilario
  given: Helena
- family: Weeks
  given: Margaret R.
- family: Corbett
  given: A. Michelle
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.17730/humo.68.3.6157671xg8155711
eissn: 1938-3525
files: []
issn: 0018-7259
journal: HUMAN ORGANIZATION
keywords: drug use; informal economy; housing; welfare reform
keywords-plus: 'WELFARE-REFORM; MENTAL-DISORDERS; HOMELESS ADULTS; HARM REDUCTION;

  SUBSTANCE USE; INNER-CITY; USE SITES; RISK; HEALTH; ADAPTATION'
language: English
month: FAL
number: '3'
number-of-cited-references: '36'
orcid-numbers: Weeks, Margaret R./0000-0001-7493-0276
pages: 269-279
papis_id: 777563fa67d5a85e727b527bccbc07d5
ref: Dicksongomez2009hustlinghousing
researcherid-numbers: 'McCarthy, Jodie/B-5760-2012

  Guha, Sunni/E-8453-2011

  '
times-cited: '7'
title: 'Hustling and Housing: Drug Users'' Strategies to Obtain Shelter and Income
  in Hartford, Connecticut'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000269620200003
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '18'
volume: '68'
web-of-science-categories: Anthropology; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
year: '2009'