Research Goals
The goal of this project was to conduct an in-depth examination of how Housing First (HF)/supportive housing programs targeting individuals with concurrent mental disorders (ICMDs), more specifically, persons with a mental health disorder in conjunction with an addiction, are implemented in order develop a model that can be used to scale or replicate HF in cities of various sizes.
Methodology
In order to develop a Housing First model that could be implemented in a small city similar to Saskatoon, several qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Process evaluations were conducted at Pacific Coast Apartments in Vancouver, Canora Place in Edmonton and McEwan Manor in Regina. An outcome evaluation compared 24 residents at Pacific Coast Apartments with 14 ICMDs living at the Triage Homeless Shelter in Vancouver. A literature review on the implementation of HF for ICMDs was also conducted. An assessment of need and feasibility for HF for ICMDs in Saskatoon used seven Saskatoon stakeholder interviews and a focused examination of CUMFI and The Lighthouse, two organizations who currently serve ICMDs in Saskatoon, to assess the applicability of this model. Finally, a community consultation followed to gather feedback about the implementation model and our application of the model to the Saskatoon context.