Overview:
This project will provide context and additional information to understand the factors influencing/determining the most commonly observed pathways from homelessness to housing identified in prior studies. In alignment with our commitment to advancing racial equity, this project will prioritize racial, ethnic and cultural communities who are overrepresented among people experiencing homelessness and underrepresented among persons receiving homelessness services/obtaining stable housing.
Within this research area, JOHS staff and leadership have identified the following topics and questions as high priority and of special relevance to policy and programming development:
- Identifying some of the distinctive challenges facing people who connect with our system as a result of camping removal (sweeps).
- Exploring in more depth the concept of a “successful/positive housing outcome” for people who are unsheltered and people in emergency shelter. Determining whether people experiencing homelessness in different contexts have different short-term, medium-term and long-term housing goals.
- Documenting and describing the process of clients’ transitions between programs/service providers (e.g. clients working with an outreach worker and then transitioning to working with staff at a shelter). Ideally, this analysis could explore the impact of clients’ access to a case worker who stays with them through their pathway to housing.
The project will consist of 2 phases and employs a mixed methods research approach. Conducted in Year 1, the first phase involves quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups to answer questions 1 and 2 above. The intention is to gather feedback from a diverse, broad sample of people experiencing homelessness. Phase 2 builds on this work to explore questions 2 and 3 (above) in more detail using in-depth narratives, journey mapping, and community workshops. Working with people who have lived experience of homelessness is central to providing input to and guidance for the project. People with lived experience will be involved in providing feedback and input in both phases.