Changing the method of working with homeless people: a photovoice project in Italy

ABSTRACT

In Italy, many organizations are experimenting with the Housing First (HF) model to promote a change in how they work with homeless people. This change creates some difficulties, especially in promoting freedom of choice in people involved in the HF programs. This study explored the definition of “home” in homeless people’s points of view. The study participants were 5 homeless men involved in a HF program called “The Road Home” implemented in the city of Padua. Data were collected using Photovoice, a photographic method based on participatory action research. During the project, the participants took photographs to illustrate their definitions of “home” and then engaged in a critical dialogue about the images represented in the photographs. The results of the study showed that occupants identified the home as being related to family, friendship, cohabitation, and hope for the future. The Photovoice project provided an opportunity to promote discussions that revealed the true needs of the people involved, and in the meantime, it brought a change to the program and to the community, in addition to promoting the HF model in the community.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless
• photovoice
• housing first
• housing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Marta Gaboardi is a Ph.D. student in psychological sciences at the University of Padova, Italy. Her main research interests include homelessness, community integration and the housing first model. She is part of the Italian scientific committee for the evaluation of Housing First program.

Giorgia Zuccalà graduated in community psychology at the Univesity of Padova with a thesis about the monitoring of a project to homeless people. She is working on projects of prevention and promotion of well-being.

Michela Lenzi, Ph.D., currently works as Assistant Professor at the Department of Developmental and Social Psychology at the University of Padova, Italy. Her main research interests include neighborhood social capital, civic engagement, prosocial behavior, risk behaviors in adolescence, socioeconomic inequalities and well-being.

Sara Ferrari works in Caritas (Catholic organisation) of Padova, Italy, from 2001 and she is responsible for service to homeless people. Massimo Santinello is a professor of Prevention and Health Promotion and Community-based strategies for social change at the University of Padova, Italy.

Massimo Santinello's research interests currently regard the development and evaluation of prevention programs. He is part of the Italian scientific committee for the evaluation of Housing First program.

Notes

1. See http://www.housingfirstitalia.org/

2. See: http://www.caritaspadova.it/images/doc-pdf/Carmine_Presentazione.pdf

3. See the video of a local TV: http://www.gruppotv7.com/ireporter/news/padova/2015/06/29/PHOTOVOICE_LA_VITA_ATTRAVERSO_LE_FOTO__132183.html