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  • Homeless adults’ recovery experiences in housing first and traditional services programs in seven european countries
    Publication . Greenwood, Ronni Michelle; Manning, M; O' Shaughnessy, Branagh; Moniz, Maria João Vargas; Loubiere, Sandrine; Spinnewijn, Freek; Lenzi, Michela; Wolf, Walter; Bokszczanin, Anna; Bernad, Roberto; Källmen, Håkan; Ornelas, José; Monteiro, Maria Fátima Jorge; Almas, Inês; Duarte, Teresa; Disperati, Francesca; Gaboardi, Marta; Santinello, Massimo; Vieno, Alessio; Marques, Rita P.; Carmona, Maria; Nave, Américo; Rivero, Borja; Julián, Martin; Zmaczynska–Witek, Barbara; Katarzyna, Skałacka; Rogowska, Aleksandra; Schel, Sandra; Peters, Yvonne; Van Loenen, Tessa; Raben, Liselotte; Beijer, Ulla; Blid, Mats; Bispo, Teresa; Cruz, Tiago; Pereira, Carla; Auquier, Pascal; Petit, Leon; Tinland, Aurelie
    Across Europe, as governments turn to housing-led strategies in attempts to reverse rising rates of homelessness, increasing numbers of Housing First (HF) programs are being implemented. As HF programs become more widespread, it is important to understand how service users experience them compared to the more prevalent traditional treatment-first approach to addressing long-term homelessness. Although there is a large body of research on service users' experiences of Housing First compared to treatment-first in North American contexts, comparatively less is known about how these two categories of homeless services are experienced in the European context. In a correlational and cross-sectional study, part of a larger examination of homelessness in Europe, participants (n = 520) engaged with either HF (n = 245) or traditional services (TS; n = 275) programs in seven countries completed measures of their experiences of services (consumer choice, housing quality, and service satisfaction) and recovery (time in independent housing, psychiatric symptoms, and community integration). Across the seven countries, participants engaged with HF programs reported experiencing more consumer choice, better perceived housing quality, and more satisfaction with services than participants engaged in TS programs. Participants in HF programs also reported a greater proportion of time in independent accommodation, fewer psychiatric symptoms, and more community integration. Varying patterns of association between experiences of services and recovery outcomes were observed. Findings indicate HF consistently predicts greater recovery than TS across diverse sociopolitical and economic contexts. Implications of findings for configurations of homeless services and homeless services policy are discussed.
  • Europeans’ willingness to pay for ending homelessness: A contingent valuation study
    Publication . Loubiere, Sandrine; Taylor, Owen; Tinland, Aurelie; Moniz, Maria João Vargas; O'Shaughnessy, Branagh R; Bokszczanin, Anna; Källmen, Håkan; Bernad, Roberto; Wolf, Judith R.; Santinello, Massimo; Loundou, Anderson; Ornelas, José.; Auquier, Pascal
    The purpose of this study is to assess the utility value European citizens put on an innovative social program aimed at reducing homelessness. The Housing First (HF) model involves access to regular, scattered, independent and integrated housing in the community with the support of a multidisciplinary team. Currently, HF is not implemented by most European countries or funded by healthcare or social plans, but randomised controlled trials have stressed significant results for improved housing stability, recovery and healthcare services use. The broader implementation of HF across Europe would benefit from a better understanding of citizens' preferences and "willingness to pay" (WTP) for medico-social interventions like HF. We conducted a representative telephone survey between March and December 2017 in eight European countries (France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Respondent's WTP for HF (N = 5631) was assessed through a contingent valuation method with a bidding algorithm. 42.3% of respondents were willing to pay more taxes to reduce homelessness through the HF model, and significant differences were found between countries (p < 0.001); 30.4% of respondents who did not value the HF model were protest zeros (either contested the payment vehicle-taxes- or the survey instrument). Respondents were willing to pay €28.2 (±11) through annual taxation for the HF model. Respondents with higher educational attainment, who paid national taxes, reported positive attitudes about homelessness, or reported practices to reduce homelessness (donations, volunteering) were more likely to value the HF model, with some countries' differences also related to factors at the environmental level. These findings inform key stakeholders that European citizens are aware of the issue of homelessness in their countries and that scaling up the HF model across Europe is both feasible and likely to have public support.
  • Lifetime, 5-year and past-year prevalence of homelessness in Europe: a cross-national survey in eight European nations
    Publication . Taylor, Owen; Loubiere, Sandrine; Tinland, Aurelie; Moniz, Maria João Vargas; Spinnewijn, Freek; Manning, Rachel; Gaboardi, Marta; Wolf, Judith R L M; Bokszczanin, Ana; Bernad, Roberto; Källmen, Håkan; Toro, Paul; Ornelas, José H.; Auquier, Pascal
    Objectives To examine the lifetime, 5-year and past-year prevalence of homelessness among European citizens in eight European nations. Design A nationally representative telephone survey using trained bilingual interviewers and computer-assisted telephone interview software. Setting The study was conducted in France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Participants European adult citizens, selected from opt-in panels from March to December 2017. Total desired sample size was 5600, with 700 per country. Expected response rates of approximately 30% led to initial sample sizes of 2500 per country. Main outcome measures History of homelessness was assessed for lifetime, past 5 years and past year. Sociodemographic data were collected to assess correlates of homelessness prevalence using generalised linear models for clustered and weighted samples. Results Response rates ranged from 30.4% to 33.5% (n=5631). Homelessness prevalence was 4.96% for lifetime (95% CI 4.39% to 5.59%), 1.92% in the past 5 years (95% CI 1.57% to 2.33%) and 0.71% for the past year (95% CI 0.51% to 0.98%) and varied significantly between countries (pairwise comparison difference test, p<0.0001). Time spent homeless ranged between less than a week (21%) and more than a year (18%), with high contrasts between countries (p<0.0001). Male gender, age 45–54, lower secondary education, single status, unemployment and an urban environment were all independently strongly associated with lifetime homelessness (all OR >1.5). Conclusions The prevalence of homelessness among the surveyed nations is significantly higher than might be expected from point-in- time and homeless service use statistics. There was substantial variation in estimated prevalence across the eight nations. Coupled with the well-established health impacts of homelessness, medical professionals need to be aware of the increased health risks of those with experience of homelessness. These findings support policies aiming to improve health services for people exposed to homelessness.