Permanent supportive housing is a key element to ending homelessness among people with complex needs. Decades of research have demonstrated that an approach to supportive housing called Housing First is effective in supporting people transition towards stable and healthier living at home. However, there remains much to be known about models of supportive housing, what kinds of supports are helpful and the impact of being housed on individual’s sense of belonging and wellness.
“Indwell’s supportive housing model is unique with its focus on community, housing design and access to health supports.”
This is why engaging in research at Indwell is so important. Indwell’s supportive housing model is unique with its focus on community, housing design and access to health supports.
In 2020, I led a two-year study of tenants’ housing journeys at Woodfield Gate Apartments in London. That research, funded through Canada’s National Housing Strategy, provided some early insights into people’s experiences of supports and housing stability at Indwell. The study, Indwell: Making Supportive Housing Work for Canada’s Most Vulnerable, informed a best practice guideline published through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation on how to build supportive housing in Canada.
The introductory study inspired our team of researchers at Western University’s Centre for Health Equity and Social Inclusion to plan a follow-up study. We were pleased that the Social Science and Humanities Research Council approved a $326,000 grant to initiate a five-year longitudinal study of Indwell programs in the London and St. Thomas regions that is ongoing. Findings of this study will be used to ensure that permanent supportive housing is delivered as effectively as possible and to tell the story of Indwell’s five London and St. Thomas sites.
Five recommendations
The two-year study concluded with a number of practical recommendations for both policy changes and local service delivery, including:
- Social assistance rates must be increased to make affordability work better.
- Readily available, on-site supports should be integrated in more existing community/social housing and affordable housing sites to expedite the process of expanding supportive housing.
- National Housing Strategy funding should support affordability and deep affordability. Loan funding for market-rent housing development should be a separate program.
- The National Housing Strategy should create a dedicated supportive housing stream to ensure that organizations who wish to house Canada’s most vulnerable are guaranteed some portion of operational funding.
- Other organizations who may provide affordable housing without on-site supports — even those who work in the sector but are not necessarily providing housing — should consider taking up delivery of permanent supportive housing.
Read about the report in greater detail here.
