The Homeless’ Perspective on Quality of Life and Housing: a Cohort Study amongst Homeless People in four Cities in the Netherlands

Onderzoekscentrum maatschappelijke zorg“gedreven door kennis, bewogen door mensen”

EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCEHomelessness, Migration and Demographic Change in Europe

Pisa, 16th September 2011

Cohort study amongst homeless people in Amsterdam, The Hague,

Rotterdam and Utrecht

Jorien van der Laan, Marjolein Maas and Judith Wolf

Research centre for social care

In collaboration with IVO Addiction Research Institute




Onderzoekscentrum maatschappelijke zorg

Overview

• Introduction• Background• Aims• Method

• Participants

• Procedure

• Measures

• Results• State of the art





Introduction - Research teamResearch centre for social care

Jorien van der Laan,MSc. Dr. Marjolein Maas Prof. Dr. Judith Wolf

IVO Addiction Research Institute

Barbara van Straaten, Msc. Dr. Carola Schrijvers Prof. Dr. Dike van de Mheen





Introduction

Longitudinal cohort study

Do homeless people benefit from a person centered approach?

Why (not)?

Issued and subsidised by the Ministry of Health, Well-being, and Sport.





Background

The Dutch government and the 4 largest cities kicked off

the Strategy Plan for Social Relief.

Aim:

• To improve the situation of homeless people;

• To reduce nuisance caused by this group.

By:

• Person-oriented approach with individual assistance programmes;

• A sound chain approach of all collaborating parties.





Background

Annual monitor (Maas & Planije, 2009):• Homeless people off the streets; • People receive (integral) care;• Nuisance reduced.

Does it work from clients’ perspectives?





Aims

Getting more insight into;

• The needs and urges of homeless people;

• (Predictors of) improvements in the quality of life;

• Housing transitions as well as possible predictors of stable housing;

• Perceived benefits of the Strategy Plan for Social Relief from perspective of homeless people





Method - partcipants

Homeless people• 500 homeless people;• Eighteen years or above;• All actually homeless or temporarily housed;• Registered at a central access point in Amsterdam,

Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht.

Social workers• Closest to the respondents





Method - procedureHomeless people

Structured interviews

People who are registered at a central access point

• Baseline (T0)

• After 6 months (T1)







Method - procedureHomeless people

Structured interviews

People who are registered at a central access point

• Baseline (T0)




Social workersAn internet questionnaire

Identified by the homeless people

•After 6 months (T1)

•After 18 months (T2)





Method - measures

Homeless people• Quality of life• Housing• Work alliance• Health & addiction• Goals and motivation• Improvements in life





Method - measures

Homeless people• Quality of life• Housing• Work alliance• Health & addiction• Goals and motivation• Improvements in life

Social workers•Quality of life•Housing•Work alliance





Results

Insight into:• subgroups and risk profiles;• housing transitions;• changes in life domains.

Information about predictors of quality of life and stable housing.

Experiences of homeless people with the person centered approach.





Results

Implementation

Further development of the person centered approach.

In close collaboration with:• homeless people;• Fieldworkers;• policy makers.





State of the art

Baseline measures (T0)

First follow-up interviews (T1)





State of the artWhat is your most important goal for the coming 6 months?

General quality of life 2

Housing 59

Study & work 19

Depts & Income 9

Physical health 2

Addiction 2

Psychological well-being 6

Intimate relationship 5

Children 7





State of the art

“I want a house of my own with a garden and a cat.”

“I would really like to have my own room or apartment, even a small room would do, and as soon as possible. Because for people like me (without addiction or psychological problems), the longer it takes, the bigger the chance you will relapse.”

“I want to live on my own with support nearby.”




ContactJ

orien van der [email protected]

+31243610790

Marjolein Maas

[email protected]

+3124368448

www.codag4.nl

Real Estate

The Homeless’ Perspective on Quality of Life and Housing: a Cohort Study amongst Homeless People in four Cities in the Netherlands