Social support and social network ties among the homeless in a downtown Atlanta park

Abstract

Abstract This study applies a typology of social support with 3 categories of social networks to investigate social ties and their benefits for homeless people. Data were derived from a 2‐year long series of participant observations of homeless or precariously housed people who came regularly to a downtown Atlanta public park. The findings are as follows: (a) the homeless men and women who regularly visited the park obtained four types of support: tangible, advice, belonging, and esteem support from non‐kin, family, and formal social services; and (b) the homeless combined support provided by different social networks in attempts to address their substantial needs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.