About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 9. Family Context & Processes

Abstract

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Youth homelessness is increasingly gaining recognition as a pressing social issue across Canada. The State of Homelessness in Canada Report (2016) estimates that 235,000 Canadians are homeless each year, with youth between the ages of 16-25 making up 18.7% of this population (Gaetz et al., 2013, Segaert, 2012). Often, youth fall into homelessness as a result of traumatic experiences of abuse. Unfortunately, once youth become homeless, many of these issues are amplified as a result of exposure to crime, violence, and exploitation.

Transitional Living Programs are popular interventions in Canada and the United States, for youth who are experiencing homelessness or emerging from the foster care system (Gaetz & Scott, 2012; Semborski et al., 2021). Some researchers have accentuated that an increased effectiveness of Transitional Living Programs is possible with an underlying framework or philosophy such as Housing First or Harm Reduction (Gaetz, 2014). However, literature on the experiences of youth in these types of programs is limited (Gaetz ,2014).

The current study examined the experiences of houseless youth in a long-term transitional housing program in a large metropolitan Canadian city, based on the Housing First philosophy. The 20-unit transitional housing program is in a large metropolitan Canadian city and provides support on-site. The program allows youth to use its services for up to 18 months. Support services are offered to address issues of homelessness (such as shelter and sense of belonging), poverty, and concurrent disorders (such as addictions and mental health issues), and to facilitate integration into mainstream services such as employment and educational opportunities.

Youth were interviewed at baseline and followed up with 6 months later. At baseline, 15 youth participated in an in-depth semi-structured interview which was audio recorded. The interviewer gained information about youth’s daily struggles, needs, life context, and self-identified goals for the future. At the follow-up, youth were asked about how their circumstances had changed in the last six months. If youth were still staying at the Housing First program, they were asked about their experiences and their plans once they moved out. If youth were not in the program, they were asked about their experiences while living in the program. Additionally, youth were asked whether the youth had completed the self-identified goals that they had indicated in the baseline interviews and any barriers or facilitators in achieving them. All procedures in this study were approved by the Institutional Ethics Board of the university where the study was conducted.

The preliminary findings of the study suggest that living in the transitional housing program over time resulted in decreased substance use and made an impact on their educational and career outcomes, interpersonal relationships, and health and well-being. Further, close relationships with staff were emphasized as a major driver for positive changes in participants’ outcomes over time. The current study also found a substantial need for further research in areas such as aftercare for youth leaving transitional housing and the need for second chances and resources for youth who must leave these programs prematurely.

Author information

Author	Role
Dr. Pushpanjali Dashora, University of Alberta	Presenting author

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