‘A place to rest’: the role of transitional housing in ending homelessness for women in Calgary, Canada

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine the role of transitional housing in ending homelessness for women and (2) to explore how gender-specific experiences of homelessness may inform housing service delivery models. Using a participatory research methodology, photovoice, and focus group discussion, nine women with lived experience of homelessness were engaged over 10 weeks in a process of reflection and critical dialogue about their previous experiences in a YWCA transitional housing facility and their current YWCA permanent housing in Calgary, Canada. Through this process women revealed that the key aspects of transitional housing that helped them exit homelessness were the interplay of four important factors: safety, time, a community of women with similar experiences, and a supportive environment with access to appropriate services in which to recover from trauma. Although moving directly from homelessness to permanent housing may be appropriate for some women, findings from this study demonstrate that this may not be the case for all. Our results suggest that once permanently housed women, especially those with histories of trauma, struggle with the trade-off between the rules that kept them safe in transitional housing and living as independent, autonomous adults in the community.

Un lugar para descansar: el rol de la vivienda transicional para acabar con la situación de calle de las mujeres en Calgary, Canadá

El propósito de este estudio fue doble: (1) determinar el rol de las viviendas transicionales para acabar con la situación de calle de las mujeres y (2) explorar cómo las experiencias género-específicas de la falta de vivienda pueden informar a los modelos de prestación de servicios de vivienda. Utilizando una metodología de investigación participativa, el fotovoz, y discusiones de grupos de enfoque, nueve mujeres con experiencias vividas de falta de vivienda fueron involucradas durante diez semanas en un proceso de reflexión y diálogo crítico sobre sus experiencias previas en un centro de vivienda transicional YWCA y su actual vivienda permanente YWCA en Calgary, Canadá. A través de este proceso, las mujeres revelaron que los aspectos claves de su vivienda transicional que las ayudaron a salir de su situación de calle fue la interacción de cuatro factores importantes: seguridad, tiempo, una comunidad de mujeres con experiencias similares, y un ambiente de apoyo con acceso a los servicios apropiados en el cual recuperarse del trauma. Aunque mudarse directamente de su situación de calle a una vivienda permanente puede ser apropiado para algunas mujeres, los resultados de este estudio demuestran que esto puede no ser el caso para todas ellas. Nuestros resultados sugieren que una vez que se encuentran en una vivienda en forma permanente, las mujeres, especialmente aquellas con antecedentes de trauma, se debaten entre las reglas que las mantuvieron seguras en la vivienda transicional y vivir como adultas independientes y autónomas en la comunidad.

“休息的处所”：加拿大卡加利的中途之家在终止无家可归女性中所扮演的角色

本研究的两项目的如下：（1）判断中途之家在终止无家可归的女性中所扮演的角色；以及（2）探讨特定性别的流浪经验如何告知住宅服务的供给模式。本研究运用参与式研究方法、影像声音以及焦点团体讨论，其中九位曾经经历无家可归的女性参与了超过十週的反思及批判性对话过程，探讨她们过去在YWCA中途之家的经验，以及目前在加拿大卡加利的YWCA永久安置居所。这些女性透过此一过程显示，中途之家协助她们退出无家可归状态的主要面向，是下列四个重要元素的互动：安全、时间、具有相似经验的女性社群，以及可获得适当的服务协助其走出创伤阴霾的支持性环境。儘管部分女性或许适合从无家可归的状态直接进入永久安置，但本研究的发现显示，这样的政策并不一定适合所有的人。我们的研究结果显示，这些女性一旦被永久安置，特别是对拥有创伤历史的女性而言，她们便必须在中途之家用以确保其安全的规范，以及做为社群中独立自主的成人之间的权衡中不断挣扎。

Keywords::

• women
• homelessness
• transitional housing
• permanent housing
• photovoice

Palabras claves::

• mujeres
• situación de calle
• vivienda transicional
• vivienda permanente
• fotovoz

关键词:::

• 女性
• 无家可归
• 中途之家
• 永久安置
• 影像声音

Acknowledgements

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the women who participated in this project, for without which, this project would not have been possible. We also want to recognize the YWCA of Calgary for their strong commitment and leadership in the project.

Notes

^1. Not the actual name of the building. Women in the study did not want the building name to be shared because of safety concerns.

^2. Smudging is the practice of burning herbs such as Sage to cleanse and purify.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah Fotheringham

Sarah Fotheringham is currently a doctoral student at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. At the time of the current study, she was the Manger of Research and Quality Assurance at the YWCA of Calgary. Sarah has worked with issues of violence against women including sexual and domestic violence and women's homelessness for a number of years in both research and direct service. Her current areas of interest in academia include women's poverty, economic empowerment, and social enterprise. Her current research interest is in women-centerd social enterprise, a poverty reduction strategy for low-income women located within Canada's social economy.

Christine A. Walsh

Christine A. Walsh is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. She has a program of community-based participatory research investigating the social determinants of the health for marginalized, socially excluded, and disadvantaged populations. Dr Walsh is interested in implementing innovative and arts-based methodologies, employing culturally sensitive and community capacity-building approaches, and novel knowledge translation strategies to increase the understanding of populations experiencing poverty, and homelessness. Collectively with these studies Christine aims to influence health, justice and social policy, and programing initiatives to improve health and well-being for disadvantaged populations.

Anna Burrowes

Anna Burrowes is the Project Manager at the YWCA of Calgary. She holds a Master in Public Administration from Queen's University. Her academic and professional interests include family and sexual violence, social policy, advocacy, community-based research and evaluation, homelessness, and social movements.