Abstract
Rural homelessness represents a significant public health and human rights challenge, but research on homelessness in the United States has predominantly focused on urban settings. This case study describes a mixed-methods assessment of the prevalence, causes, and consequences of homelessness in a rural county. Through both surveys and interviews with stakeholders from multiple sectors (including both service providers and those experiencing homelessness), we built a rich picture of the scale and experiential dimensions of homelessness within the county. Here, we present our research methods, the main findings of each primary data collection arm, and the actionable conclusions drawn from the synthesis of those findings. We also provide several recommendations for social scientists investigating homelessness in rural settings and make a call to action for future research on both homelessness and housing insecurity in rural settings.
Recommended Citation
Lyons, Matthew, Ashley Feierstein, Christy Storey, Akilah Hairston, Jonathan Jones, Jada Brown, and Sarah Cross. 2026. "Assessing Rural Homelessness: A Mixed -Methods Case Study." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 41(1): Article 4. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.34068/jrss.41.01.04
