Any spare change? The income and expenditure of substance users who are sleeping rough: results from a survey in London

Abstract

A survey of the substance use of 389 homeless people included questions on current income and expenditure. The two sources of income most often reported were state benefits and begging. Those whose main substance was heroin or crack cocaine were more likely to have a larger financial expenditure, and to obtain this income from criminal activities, than those whose main substance was another drug or alcohol. By far the most commonly‐cited main items of expenditure were drugs and alcohol. The findings are discussed in terms of current interventions and service development.

Citation

Fountain, J., Howes, S., Taylor, C. and Strang (2003), "Any spare change? The income and expenditure of substance users who are sleeping rough: results from a survey in London", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/17459265200300004