An incomplete picture: A scoping review of how scholars account for race and ethnicity in family homelessness research

Abstract

Families of color in the United States experience homelessness at a disproportionately higher rate than White families; however, little is known about how scholars account for race and ethnicity in family homelessness research. This scoping review analyzes how researchers examine race and ethnicity in conceptual frameworks, methods, and analysis.

Following PRISMA-ScR reporting standards, I searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and ERIC for quantitative studies including a housing outcome for homeless service-involved families. I used Covidence to screen for inclusion and extract data, and QuADS to evaluate study quality.

Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Researchers’ articles lacked theory and the context of racism, lacked detail on how race and ethnicity were conceptualized and operationalized, and most (71%) did not disaggregate results.

Without putting data within the context of systemic racism and disaggregating outcomes, research will produce incomplete knowledge on family homelessness, leading to ineffective interventions for families of color.