Lived experiences of 'choice', control' and 'success' in housing first

This thesis is concerned with notions of ‘choice and control’ in the Housing First model, and how these contribute to successful outcomes for multiply excluded homeless (MEH) adults. Housing First aims to overcome homelessness and prevent further exclusion by offering immediate, independent accommodation in the community. In doing so, the model seeks to provide a foundation for client centred support, guided by client choice, which enables recovery from the ‘multiple and complex’ needs most MEH adults face. The majority of Housing First literature has focused on the model’s very positive housing related outcomes. However, longer-term outcomes related to recovery and desistance have been less clear. The thesis centres on a qualitative, longitudinal evaluation of a Housing First service in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Housing First is relatively new in England, and there has been only limited evaluation of the model’s effectiveness in this context. This study contributed to this gap in knowledge by following 18 MEH adults over 16 months in their Housing First tenancy. A mixed methods design was employed to explore participants’ ability to utilise the ‘choice and control’ offered in Housing First to achieve outcomes related to recovery and desistance. The methodology was informed by a situational approach that places the participant at the centre of analysis and explores both the personal and environmental factors that influence their choices, and resulting actions. Findings demonstrated the importance of participants’ biographies in determining their ‘starting point’ in Housing First, and their ability to make choices towards recovery and desistance. A key output of the study was a typology based on participants’ life histories that was predictive of their trajectories towards recovery and desistance. In general terms, those with less complex life histories were more able to take advantage of the foundation provided by Housing First.