Homeless Adults' Recovery Experiences in Housing First and Traditional Services Programs in Seven European Countries. Issue 3 (2nd December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Greenwood, Ronni Michelle; Manning, Rachel M.; O'Shaughnessy, Branagh R.; Vargas‐Moniz, Maria J.; Loubière, Sandrine; Spinnewijn, Freek; Lenzi, Michela; Wolf, Judith R.; Bokszczanin, Anna; Bernad, Roberto; Källmén, Håkan; Ornelas, José
• Other Names: Jorge‐Monteiro Maria F. investigator.; Almas Inês investigator.; Duarte Teresa investigator.; Disperati Francesca investigator.; Gaboardi Marta investigator.; Santinello Massimo investigator.; Vieno Alessio investigator.; Marques Rita P. investigator.; Carmona Maria investigator.; Nave Américo investigator.; Rivero Borja investigator.; Julián Martin investigator.; Zmaczynska–Witek Barbara investigator.; Katarzyna Skałacka investigator.; Rogowska Aleksandra investigator.; Schel Sandra investigator.; Peters Yvonne investigator.; van Loenen Tessa investigator.; Raben Liselotte investigator.; Beijer Ulla investigator.; Blid Mats investigator.; Bispo Teresa investigator.; Cruz Tiago investigator.; Pereira Carla investigator.; Auquier Pascal investigator.; Petit Junie M. investigator.; Loubière Sandrine investigator.; Tinland Aurélie investigator.
• Is Part Of: American journal of community psychology. Volume 65:Issue 3/4(2020)
• Page Start: 353
• Page End: 368
• Publication Date: 2019-12-02
• Subjects: Housing First -- Homelessness -- Choice -- Housing quality -- Satisfaction -- Recovery; Community psychology -- Periodicals; Community mental health services -- Periodicals; Community psychiatry -- Periodicals; Community Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Community Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12404
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-0562

Abstract

Highlights: Housing First reports more service user recovery but little is known about how this is achieved. Certain features of homeless services are likely to promote service users' recovery. Housing First service users reported more choice, better housing quality, and more satisfaction. Service features predicted independent housing, psychiatric symptoms, and community integration. Across socio‐political and economic contexts, Housing First predicts greater recovery than traditional services. Abstract: Across Europe, as governments turn to housing‐led strategies in attempts to reverse rising rates of homelessness, increasing numbers of Housing First (HF) programs are being implemented. As HF programs become more widespread, it is important to understand how service users experience them compared to the more prevalent traditional treatment‐first approach to addressing long‐term homelessness. Although there is a large body of research on service users' experiences of Housing First compared to treatment‐first in North American contexts, comparatively less is known about how these two categories of homeless services are experienced in the European context. In a correlational and cross‐sectional study, part of a larger examination of homelessness in Europe, participants ( n = 520) engaged with either HF ( n = 245) or traditional services (TS; n = 275) programs in seven countries completed measures of their experiences of services (consumer choice, housing quality, and service satisfaction) and recovery (time in independent housing, psychiatric symptoms, and community integration). Across the seven countries, participants engaged with HF programs reported experiencing more consumer choice, better perceived housing quality, and more satisfaction with services than participants engaged in TS programs. Participants in HF programs also reported a greater proportion of time in independent accommodation, fewer psychiatric symptoms, and more community integration. Varying patterns of association between experiences of services and recovery outcomes were observed. Findings indicate HF consistently predicts greater recovery than TS across diverse sociopolitical and economic contexts. Implications of findings for configurations of homeless services and homeless services policy are discussed.