This commentary serves as a snapshot of a study midway through data collection and outlines some preliminary results. The purpose of the study is to better understand inter-relationships between poverty and social inclusion for psychiatric survivors. The study is allied with the Community–University Research Alliance (CURA), a Canadian government research grant program administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Participants were stratified based on housing type (housed vs. homeless) and employment status (employed and/or a student vs. unemployed). The sample includes 380 individuals (190 men and 190 women), with a psychiatric diagnosis and/or addiction issue for a minimum of one year. The four-year longitudinal study combines both quantitative (individual structured interview) and qualitative (focus group) data collection methods and preliminary quantitative analysis of the first-year data is underway. Upon its completion, it is hoped that the CURA study will yield results useful for informing policy and practice influencing health and life outcomes for psychiatric survivors and help determine the most effective use of resources to promote social inclusion.