“Well, that’s like night and day, being homeless, having nothing.” A qualitative exploration of the experiences of residents and service providers of permanent supportive housing

ABSTRACT

A body of research documents the empirical benefits of permanent supportive housing (PSH) at the individual and societal levels. This study aimed to understand how formerly homeless adults experience living in PSH and how service providers experience working with residents of PSH. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 residents and 12 service providers across three PSH sites in Northern California. Using thematic analysis, we constructed four themes that highlight the complexities of housing chronically homeless adults with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Interviewees discussed the ways in which housing provided a foundation for residents to make positive life changes, including achieving housing stability, improving physical and mental health, finding a sense of purpose, and (re)building relationships. Interviewees also discussed challenges with project-based PSH, such as appropriateness of fit between new and existing residents, and provision of services. Residents and service providers alike highlighted substance use as the primary threat to housing stability for both the person using and those who have minimized use or stopped using. These findings provide support for the Housing First principles underlying PSH, but also highlight the need for considering individual consumers’ needs in the development of housing programs and implementation of supportive services.

KEYWORDS:

• Supportive housing
• formerly homeless
• substance use
• mental illness
• interviews

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Cruz Mora, a student at California State University, Chico, for his research support during the initial stages of this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the California State University, Chico.

Notes on contributors

Mia Rae Kirk

Mia Rae Kirk is a public health doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Public Health. She studies in the field of social and behavioral sciences. She previously taught as a lecturer in the Department of Public Health and Services Administration at California State University, Chico.

Andrew J Potter

Andrew J Potter joined the Department of Political Science & Criminal Justice at California State University, Chico in 2016, and taught courses on organizational theory, public administration, and health policy until 2021, while serving as the coordinator of the Master of Public Administration program. Prior to his appointment at Chico State, he earned a Ph.D in Health Services and Policy from the University of Iowa. As a health services researcher, Dr. Potter’s research has focused on Medicaid, long-term services and supports, safety-net health care providers, family caregivers of older adults, and rural access to health care. At CSU Chico, he also conducted program evaluations of service-oriented policing innovations for people experiencing mental illness or homelessness. Dr. Potter serves on the board of a Federally Qualified Health Center, and recently transitioned to a research scientist role with the California Department of Health Care Services.

Jennifer Wilking

Jennifer Wilking is an Associate Professor at California State University. She serves as the Department Associate Chair, and the coordinator of the International Relations Program. Dr. Wilking received her Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Davis in 2010. She studies and teaches in the field of Comparative Politics, specializing in political behavior, with a country focus in China. Since joining the Chico State Political Science Department, she has also gained interest and expertise in local housing issues, basic needs in higher education, and collaborative teaching and learning.