A Qualitative Exploration of People Who Have Left Housing First and Returned to Homelessness

Abstract

This article offers a thick, rich, multidimensional, and situational look into a Housing First (HF) program in Charlotte, North Carolina, called HousingWorks. This study focuses on individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness and who exited permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs that employ a HF model and return to homelessness. In January 2022, there were 582,500 people experiencing homelessness in the United States (The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD], 2023). One-third of these individuals had patterns of chronic homelessness, which has doubled since 2016 (HUD, 2023). Additionally, one-third of unsheltered individuals are at a high risk of being unsheltered again. To address issues of chronic homelessness, emphasis has been placed on increasing supportive housing, which combines permanent affordable housing with supportive services (permanent supportive housing), commonly called a housing first, or the rapid rehousing approach. Participants exited HousingWorks for multiple individual and programmatic reasons. All exits in this study were tied to relationships individuals had with friends, family (of choice and biological), romantic partners, case managers, and neighbors. Consumers, providers, and former residents describe their experiences and offer insights for improving housing retention in PSH programs. Implications for implementation and housing first fidelity criteria are also discussed.