Center for Addiction and Mental Health, 2012
This report from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health explores tenants' perceptions of supportive housing. The authors interviewed 16 tenants at four supportive housing residences in Canada to learn how the housing model has affected their lives. Along with one-on-one interviews with each tenant, the researchers also held focus groups at each residence. The research reveals that supportive housing has helped tenants recover from addiction and improve their overall mental health. In interviews, tenants noted access to support services, overall independence and socializing with tenants as other major benefits of supportive housing. Tenants offered sharp contrasts between their current lives and life on the street. As one tenant put it: “It’s much better here; you have a place to live. You don’t have to worry about half the stuff you would when you’re homeless… you have to look out for everything, you have to try to secure a bed every night, sometimes you get kicked out of places, you have to find a new bed every night and that’s kind of the hardest thing to do.”
The report was written by Jean-François Crépault and Mark Blackstone.
Download Road to Recovery: Client Experiences in Supportive Housing
Research category: Health, Mental Illness