Peer supportive housing for consumers of housing first who experience ongoing housing instability

Abstract

Housing First (HF) effectively houses the majority of homeless individuals suffering from mental illness; however, a small subset continues to struggle with unstable housing. This paper describes a supportive housing pilot program developed at the Moncton site of the At Home / Chez Soi demonstration project for HF participants who have experienced difficulty achieving housing stability while receiving HF services. Specifically, Peer Supportive Housing (PSH) was created for participants demonstrating ongoing unstable housing in the HF program. Results from structured interviews with five program staff and nine tenants of PSH describe the successes, challenges, and perceived outcomes of the early implementation of the program. PSH can supplement HF, and may help to meet the needs of some tenants who are unable to achieve stable housing after a trial of receiving HF services.