Social Healing: A Theoretical Model for the Success of Housing First

Abstract

Literature on Housing First indicates much success of the program in terms of financial savings and tenant positive outcome evaluations; however, there is limited explanation of how these successful outcomes are produced. Within this dissertation, interactions between tenants and case managers are revealed to be the primary intervening variable in a process of transition for tenants. These interactions connect Housing First policy (independent variable) to successful outcomes for tenants experienced during continued housing tenure (dependent variable). The measurement methods in the study are triangulated to reflect the fluidity of real life processes and both qualitative and quantitative data types are collected. From March 2008 until January 2011, twenty tenant case studies were interviewed three times in six month intervals. Nine case managers were also interviewed once and two tenants who discontinued permanent housing tenure were interviewed for an overall total of 71 interviews. Overall, symbolic interactionism is found to be a reasonable framework for explaining the successes of Housing First. Through highly focused intention in interactions case managers facilitate three social processes for tenants that lead to their successful continued housing tenure. These beneficial processes can be more specifically described as `socially healing processes' or `social healing' as they heal the social dimensions of identity, affective home creation, and wellness networks to various degrees for tenants.