Housing and Homelessness

The health care needs of the homeless are more complex than those of the population at large. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of the homeless. Thematic content analysis of responses from 19 undergraduate nursing students yielded four themes describing student experiences with

Homelessness is related to poorer mental health, yet, there is limited understanding of the predictors of mental health of men and women experiencing homelessness. To support service providers in identifying individuals who might be at particular risk of poor mental health, this study investigated the predictors of mental health in

This paper presents a population health framework for homelessness prevention. Rooted in the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, the framework includes strategies that affect social determinants of health that influence a broad range of health outcomes prevalent among the homeless. For each prevention level, we consider the purpose of prevention,

The Housing First (HF) model is an evidence-based supportive housing initiative that provides permanent housing for the homeless without preconditions such as sobriety or treatment compliance. This three-year longitudinal study investigated the effects of Alaska’s inaugural Housing First projects in Anchorage and Fairbanks on local service usage, costs and tenant

In Italy, many organizations are experimenting with the Housing First (HF) model to promote a change in how they work with homeless people. This change creates some difficulties, especially in promoting freedom of choice in people involved in the HF programs. This study explored the definition of “home” in homeless

The Street Outreach Pilot Program, the extension of the Portable Housing Benefit to help safely house survivors of domestic violence, the opening of the One Roof Kingston Youth Services Hub and the completion of energy-saving updates to social housing, are among the highlights outlined in the City of Kingston’s 2017

Homeless persons with psychosis are particularly susceptible to unsheltered homelessness, which includes living on the streets, in cars, and other places not meant for human habitation. Homeless persons with psychosis have distinct barriers to accessing care and comprise a high-need and hard-to-serve homeless subpopulation. Therefore, this study sought to understand

Objective: Individuals who are homeless or vulnerably housed have a higher prevalence of concurrent disorders, defined as having a mental health diagnosis and problematic substance use, compared to the general housed population. The study objective was to investigate the effect of having concurrent disorders on health care utilization among homeless

Objective: Individuals who are homeless or vulnerably housed have a higher prevalence of concurrent disorders, defined as having a mental health diagnosis and problematic substance use, compared to the general housed population. The study objective was to investigate the effect of having concurrent disorders on health care utilization among homeless

Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are more prevalent among people who are homeless than in the general population. Thus, homeless individuals experience disproportionately high levels of alcohol-related problems and associated publicly funded criminal justice and healthcare system utilization. Available treatment services, however, are not effective at engaging and treating this

There is intense debate over the legitimacy of interventions which seek behavioural change on the part of street homeless people. ‘Hard’ measures, such as arresting people for begging, are particularly controversial, but ‘softer’ interventions such as motivational interviewing have also prompted objections on grounds that they are paternalistic. At the

Background: The multiple challenges that ethnoracial homeless individuals experiencing mental illness face are well documented. However, little is known about how this homeless subpopulation copes with the compounding stressors of racial discrimination, homelessness and mental illness. Aims: This study is an in-depth investigation of the personal perceived strengths, attitudes and

Background: The multiple challenges that ethnoracial homeless individuals experiencing mental illness face are well documented. However, little is known about how this homeless subpopulation copes with the compounding stressors of racial discrimination, homelessness and mental illness. Aims: This study is an in-depth investigation of the personal perceived strengths, attitudes and

Objective: The objective of this article was to conduct a cost analysis comparing the costs of a supportive housing intervention to inpatient care for clients with severe mental illness who were designated alternative-level care while inpatient at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. The intervention, called the

Background: Limited evidence on the costs of homelessness in Canada is available. We estimated the average annual costs, in total and by cost category, that homeless people with mental illness engender from the perspective of society. We also identified individual characteristics associated with higher costs. Methods: As part of the

Background. Tenancy sustainment—maintenance of a tenancy to avoid a premature end of tenure—is fundamental to prevention of homelessness. Understanding what enables a successful tenancy is essential in informing interventions designed to support people in leaving homelessness. Objectives. To conduct a systematic review identifying determinants associated with tenancy sustainment following homelessness.

Persons who are homeless experience higher levels of mental illness, unmet mental healthcare needs, and physical healthcare needs than the general population. This study aimed (1) to determine the reasons contributing to having unmet mental healthcare needs (UMHCN) and (2) to examine the determinants of UMHCN among a representative sample

The purpose of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to compare the 6-month outcomes of a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy–Corrections Modified (DBT-CM) program versus a Health Promotion (HP) program on mitigating recidivism among 130 female parolees/probationers between baseline and 6-month follow-up. The effect of DBT-CM on reducing recidivism was greater

Aims: This article analyses excess morbidity amongst homeless shelter users compared to the general Danish population. The study provides an extensive control for confounding and investigates to what extent excess morbidity is explained by homelessness or other risk factors. Methods: Data set includes administrative micro-data for 4,068,926 Danes who were

Objective: We assessed the feasibility and satisfaction of an apartment living program for formerly homeless adults with mental health and substance use disorders. Method: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 22 participants who attended a six-week apartment living program. Results: Sixteen participants completed the study and demonstrated improvement in

This paper uses the term ‘liminality’ to refer to the experience of feeling like an outsider when people are transitioning from one housing status (long-term homelessness) to another (housed). Three dimensions of liminality are identified: ‘material’, ‘relational’ and ‘psychological’. The material dimension covers how people feel about their housing and

Objectives. To describe longitudinal health service utilization and expenditures for homeless family members before and after entering an emergency shelter. Methods. We linked Massachusetts emergency housing assistance data with Medicaid claims between July 2008 and June 2015, constructing episodes of health care 12 months before and 12 months after families

Being homeless has a negative effect on health and the health needs of individuals experiencing homelessness are complex and challenging to address. As a result of limited access to and use of primary healthcare, the main point of entry into the healthcare system for individuals experiencing homelessness is often hospitals

An Ottawa judge released a mentally ill man from custody Friday, saying he had languished in jail for five months because the healthcare system failed to find him a secure home. Justice Peter Doody of the Ontario Court of Justice made the comments during Kevin Coleman’s sentencing. “The health system

This article focuses on the use of a music and empowerment-based group as a vehicle for engagement, and therapeutic, and social-emotional benefits with homeless adults coping with severe mental illness in a shelter setting. The authors present a conceptual framework that includes case illustrations to capture the group process. The