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How Can Transitional Housing Be Improved? Insights from Residents’ Experiences and Perceptions in New York City

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Listed:
  • Zeynab Jouzi

    (Action Research Collaborative (ARC), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Lauren San Diego

    (Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Neil A. Lewis

    (Action Research Collaborative (ARC), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
    Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Tashara M. Leak

    (Action Research Collaborative (ARC), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
    Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

Abstract

Homelessness, affecting over half a million Americans, significantly elevates the risks of mental and physical health issues, consequently diminishing life expectancy when compared with the general population. Homelessness is a critical public health issue, and efforts are needed to address lack of housing as a social determinant of health. Transitional housing (TH) programs emerge as vital interventions, offering a place to stay with various support services to facilitate the transition to permanent residency. Nearly half of the unhoused population in the country and over 90% in New York live in TH or shelters. Despite the high utilization rates of TH, engagement with support services and opportunities for improvement remain poorly understood. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the factors influencing support service usage and opportunities for enhancement through semi-structured interviews with TH residents in New York City to capture their lived experiences and perspectives. Analysis of the interviews ( n = 20) revealed five main factors affecting service engagement that aligned with constructs of the socioecological model: intrapersonal (self-efficacy, chronic health conditions, mental health), interpersonal (parenthood and well-being of children with special needs, individual staff interactions, and communication), institutional (bureaucratic challenges, administrative burden, and living facilities), community (social isolation and educational opportunity), and policy (challenge meeting basic needs and undocumented status). Recommendations for bridging service gaps primarily arose at the institutional and community levels, offering critical insights for administrators to tailor services more effectively to TH residents’ needs, thus contributing to the broader goal of advancing health equity among the unhoused.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeynab Jouzi & Lauren San Diego & Neil A. Lewis & Tashara M. Leak, 2024. "How Can Transitional Housing Be Improved? Insights from Residents’ Experiences and Perceptions in New York City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(7), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:7:p:829-:d:1422183
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Swope, Carolyn B. & Hernández, Diana, 2019. "Housing as a determinant of health equity: A conceptual model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    2. Marilyn Welsh & Patricia Gorman Barry & Amanda Atwater Jacobs & Lindsay A. Beddes, 2018. "Homeless Men Living in Transitional Housing: The BrainWise Program and Improvements in Executive Functions and Coping Self-Efficacy," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, April.
    3. Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, 2020. "Beyond patient-centred care: a conceptual framework of co-production mechanisms with vulnerable groups in health and social service settings," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 452-474, March.
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