scaling up housing first-pilots – drivers and barriers

9th European Research Conference

Homelessness in Times of Crisis

Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

Scaling up Housing First-

pilots – Drivers and Barriers

Marcus Knutagård, Arne Kristiansen Lund University, School of Social Work, Sweden




The aim of the project 1 The purpose of this project is twofold.

First, to make visible the drivers and

barriers that either facilitates or hinders the

ability to scale up Housing First pilots and

to analyse the needs according to

homeless people themselves and how

they are constructed by social services,

housing companies and NGOs.




Aim 2 Secondly, the project aims to develop

methods and services targeting homeless

people based on the results from the

Housing First pilots and how

homelessness can be prevented at the

local level.




Research questions 1 Is it possible to incorporate lessons learned from

research and evaluation of Housing First pilots

in the existing social housing program in

Helsingborg? In other words - is it possible to

pour new wine into old bottles?

How do the social housing program work with

the homeless, and how do social services define

and explain homeless peoples needs and

problems?




Research questions 2 What have been done in the cases that

the professionals define as a success?

What are the needs and barriers that

homeless people have identified as

important in their everyday lives?

How can the work with homeless people

improve?




Lessons from the pilot 1 Develop a professional approach of the

staff that is empathetic, non-judgmental

and supportive, which would improve the

response from clients and employees, and

increase the possibility to establish trusting

relationships.

Develop opportunities for service user

influence and participation




Lessons from the pilot 2 Review the rules and control functions that

regulate clients' accommodation and try to

make them more suited to the rules that

regulates the ordinary housing market.

Develop instruments for monitoring and

evaluation of services.




Method The method is a ‘Practice Research’

where knowledge production takes place

in close collaboration between researchers

and stakeholders in social work practice.

The research and development project is

designed to identify key factors that are

important in order to scale up Housing

First pilots.




Shadowing

Focus groups

Interviews




References Knutagård, Marcus & Arne Kristiansen

(2013) “Not by the Book: The Emergence

and Translation of Housing First in

Sweden”. European Journal of

Homelessness, 7 (1): 93–115.

Rønning, Rolf & Marcus Knutagård

(forthcoming) Innovations in Social

Welfare and Human Services. New York:

Routledge.




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scaling up housing first-pilots – drivers and barriers

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