Tenants with additional needs: when housing first does not solve homelessness.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• The At Home/Chez-Soi trial was a 24-month randomized controlled trial of Housing First (HF).
• HF is an intervention aimed at providing stable housing to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• The trial was conducted across five Canadian cities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify characteristics of participants experiencing housing instability within the first year of entering a Housing First program.
• To explore potential predictors of early housing instability in a vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

• Housing instability was defined as being housed less than 50% of the last 9 months of the first year.
• Exclusions included time spent in institutions, with a caveat for recent stable housing.
• Statistical analyses, including multiple regression, were used to identify predictors.

Main Results:

• Only 13.5% of Housing First participants met the criteria for housing instability.
• Predictors of instability included residence in Winnipeg, cumulative lifetime homelessness, and time spent in jail.
• Residence in Moncton and diagnoses of PTSD or panic disorder predicted housing stability.

Conclusions:

• Accurate prediction of early housing instability at baseline is not feasible.
• Certain individual characteristics may indicate increased risk for instability.
• Universal provision of Housing First to all eligible individuals is the most equitable admission strategy.