Linking African American mothers across life stage and station through photovoice.

Homeless young African American women and low-income, elderly African American women have housing needs specific to their age cohorts, yet they also have parallel and complementary housing, health, and personal needs. The young struggle to afford decent housing, while the old may have difficulty maintaining their homes. In this pilot study, intergenerational contact was established between young homeless women and elderly independently housed women through photovoice. Over six months, five African American women discussed photographs they had taken that focused on their current living arrangements and activities. Although the women spanned three generations, had different life experiences, and resided in a variety of home settings, the sharing of photographs revealed many commonalities. In the process of discussing photographs, the women established mutual respect, exercised reciprocal affirmation, and built alliances. The preliminary study is preparatory to exploring the feasibility of establishing house-sharing arrangements for mutual assistance between these cohorts.