A place of our own: A narrative review of the family housing services literature

Abstract

The problem of family homelessness has been widely recognized by both policymakers and social service providers. What is not clear, however, is the overall effectiveness of housing intervention services provided to homeless families. This narrative review of the literature discusses 10 studies from 1991 to 2013 on both transitional and supportive housing in order to assess under what conditions and for whom these interventions are most effective. More specifically this review evaluates the research regarding which elements of intervention services are most helpful to families, the outcomes associated with these programmes, and the short- and long-term effectiveness of housing interventions. Evidence suggests that while these programmes produce positive outcomes for families, a one-size-fits-all model of housing may not be effective for all families. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.