At Home At Howe study
In September 2013, McLaren Housing Society of BC opened the doors to the Howe street residence, a 12 storey 110-unit housing complex, making it the largest HIV residential building in Canada. The units provide permanent housing to individuals and families who are either homeless or at-risk of homelessness and whose primary health issue is HIV/AIDS.
The overarching aim of the At Home At Howe study is to monitor and evaluate the implementation of this supportive housing program and its impact on a cohort of people living with HIV at risk of homelessness. Using a multi-method, community-based approach, the specific objectives of this research are to: (1) Determine the impact of a supportive housing intervention on quality of life, risk behaviours, health service utilization and HIV treatment outcomes in a cohort of people living with HIV at risk of homelessness; (2) Identify the specific processes and mechanisms of the intervention that impact quality of life and HIV treatment outcomes; and (3) Explore the narratives of PHA who recently transitioned from unstable to stable housing.
With a commitment to community engagement and knowledge translation, the investigative team and community advisory board will leverage study findings to inform housing policy and programming for people at risk of, and living with, HIV in British Columbia.
Presentations
The team was invited to present a poster describing the unique Sticky-notes analysis process at the Qualitative Health Research Conference held on October 25-29, 2019 in Vancouver, BC.