Examining the potential use of technology in permanent supportive housing

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Research on using technology in permanent supportive housing (PSH) has been limited. This study conducted formative work on understanding how technology might benefit PSH tenants.

Method

Focus groups were conducted at five PSH sites in Southern California, with 42 tenants participating. Thematic analysis was carried out in which data were analyzed both deductively and inductively using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Thematic findings were organized using the theory's constructs.

Results

Participants generally acknowledged that technology can improve the health and well-being of PSH tenants but noted that many barriers to uptake exist. Tenants identified that PSH programs could play a more active role in facilitating technology uptake by providing universal Wi-Fi access in buildings and assigning a staff member to help residents become more familiar with new technology. Limited expectations that residents should or will use technology, however, may impede programs from playing this role.

Conclusion

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology proved useful in studying how technology could be used to improve the lives of PSH tenants. Future work should include the perspectives of service providers that will need to be considered during the development and piloting of specific technologies.

KEYWORDS:

• Homelessness
• unified theory of acceptance and use of technology
• focus groups
• internet of things
• smart home technology

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our PSH partners and the tenants who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

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

Statements and declarations

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2125654. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This human subjects research has been performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the California State University, Fullerton’s Institutional Review Board (Protocol Number: HSR-21-22-17). All human subject participants provided informed consent. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation: [Grant Number 2125654].

Notes on contributors

Benjamin F. Henwood

Benjamin F. Henwood is the Albert G. and Frances Lomas Feldman Professor of Social Policy and Health at the University of Southern California.

Jordy Coutin

Jordy Coutin is a doctoral student at the University of Southern California.

Tabashir Z. Nobari

Tabashir Z. Nobari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at the California State University, Fullerton.

Kiran George

Kiran George is a Professor and Vice–Chair in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the California State University, Fullerton.

Anand Panangadan

Anand Panangadan is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the California State University, Fullerton.