Hope in Homeless People: Potential for Implementation of Person-Centred Planning in Homeless Shelters?

Abstract

In this paper we lay the foundation for research into the concept of hope in homeless people in the Czech context. The text is based on partial data from a broader empirical study. The main aim of the paper is to gain a complex understanding of the role of hope in setting goals for homeless people living in shelters. Specifically, we have focused on how homeless people conceptualise hope and how their concepts of hope can be used to set future goals as part of individual planning in a shelter? In the research, we used a qualitative strategy combining traditional techniques such as in-depth interviews and case studies with projective technique. We have identified four main concepts of hope and a range of sources and limits of hope in homeless people living in a shelter. Based on the findings, the possibilities of implementation of person-centred planning in shelters in the Czech Republic are discussed herein.