ODSA-UCA study reveals causes of chronic homelessness

A study by the Observatorio de la Deuda Social Argentina (ODSA) at the Universidad Católica Argentina reveals that prolonged homelessness is a gradual process resulting from the accumulation of social, familial, and personal disadvantages.

Researchers Milagros Dolabjian and Solange Rodríguez Espínola analyzed the trajectories of long-term homeless individuals through 13 in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that homelessness is rarely sudden, instead being driven by a superposition of difficulties including structural poverty, domestic violence, early relationship breakdowns, school abandonment, job insecurity, and legal conflicts.

The research highlights the role of problematic substance use—including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and psychotropic drugs—as a factor in these trajectories, often serving as a means of emotional regulation or anesthesia. Additionally, the study identifies an ‘institutional revolving door’ phenomenon, where individuals circulate constantly between assistance, health, and penal institutions.