This report from principal researcher Jane Rongerude, PhD of Iowa State, developed in partnership with Homeward, Institute for Community Alliances, and Common Good Iowa "investigates the pathways of homelessness for individuals who experienced episodic family homelessness as a child and then later as an adult head of household." This qualitative study provides context to well-documented patterns of homelessness across generations.

Specific to Central Iowa, five themes emerged from the data analysis:
1. Childhoods characterized by persistent housing instability
2. Acute family crises during early adolescence
3. Mobility within low-resource family networks
4. Formal and informal practices by homeless-serving organizations created barriers to family stabilization and self-sufficiency
5. Resources with universal access created ladders to opportunity