Practices to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Towards Older Transitional Housing Clients

Homelessness remains an enduring social issue, in part, due to the stigmatization of and discrimination toward people experiencing homelessness, known as homeism. Despite extant research on the topic, little is known about how homeism, enacted through stigmatization and discrimination, may occur within transitional housing programs or among older people experiencing homelessness in these settings. We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews with providers and clients (n = 15) of a transitional housing program in Western Canada. Participants described ways in which clients self-stigmatize and are treated poorly by others, as well as the consequences of homeism among clients. Also described were program practices that served to reduce homeism toward people experiencing homelessness, including the use of a harm reduction approach, humanizing treatment, the provision of a stable address, and the use of arts-based and community-building activities. Study findings suggest several policies that housing programs can implement, which may support older adults to reduce their internalized stigma and improve community members' perceptions of people experiencing homelessness. Future research should explicitly study the mechanisms by which harm reduction, humanizing treatment, providing a stable address, and arts-based and community-building activities shift perceptions of shame and stigma.