Youth Experiences of Permanent Supportive Housing

Background and Purpose: Permanent supportive housing (PSH), identified by the U.S. federal government as the “clear solution” to chronic homelessness, is now being applied to homelessness among transition-age youth (TAY). There has been limited research into TAY experiences of PSH and about whether and how PSH needs to be adapted to meet the needs of TAY. The purpose of the present study is to investigate TAY experiences in PSH programs and how PSH has affected their lives and developmental trajectories.

Methods: Twenty-nine youth participated in in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews during June 2014 regarding their experiences in PSH. Participants were recruited from one of 4 PSH programs located in Los Angeles. 18 participants (62%) were male; 12 participants (41%) were African-American/Black, 7 participants (24%) were Latino/a, 6 participants (21%) were mixed or other race, and 4 participants (14%) were white/Caucasian; 9 participants (31%) were sexual minority youth; average age was 23. Youth housing tenure ranged from 3 weeks to 3 years. 15 participants (52%) were living with a roommate, 12 participants (41%) lived alone, and 2 participants (7%) lived with their child. Interview transcripts were independently coded by two investigators and reviewed for inter-rater reliability. Co-coded data served as the basis for further analysis that resulted in the development of emergent themes

Results: Youth felt privileged to have accessed housing and reported improvement from the past problems. Youth also described having increased self-confidence that allowed them to better face current problems and be future-oriented. Youth with longer housing tenure were more likely to be engaged in either work or school. Having access to providers who were invested in the lives of residents was also identified as critical to long-term success. Despite positive attributions of PSH, most youth reported misgivings about having to live with other youth, especially those with high behavioral health needs. Concerns about age limits and moving on within PSH caused anxiety particularly among older tenants who may have just achieved personal stability.

Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that PSH is an appropriate model for TAY but may need to be tailored to their unique developmental stage, both in terms of housing and support services. Youth want to be supported in learning life skills, going to school, getting jobs, and transitioning to adulthood. Having roommates that share a high level of behavioral health need, for example, may pose a particular problem for youth in PSH given the increased influence of peer relationship during adolescence. Having providers who are personally invested and push youth to succeed appears to be an important element of support services especially since youth residents are expected (or forced) to move on. Further research is needed on how PSH can best be adapted for TAY.