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Building Bridges to Housing for homeless adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: outcomes of a cross‐sector intervention
Author(s) -
Reid Nadine,
Kron Amie,
Lamanna Denise,
Wen Sophia,
Durbin Anna,
Rajakulendran Thanara,
Lunsky Yona,
Roy Sylvain,
DuBois Denise,
Stergiopoulos Vicky
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12779
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , observational study , population , descriptive statistics , quality of life (healthcare) , intellectual disability , gerontology , supportive housing , psychology , service (business) , service provider , medicine , housing first , environmental health , nursing , psychiatry , business , pathology , marketing , mental illness , statistics , mathematics , mental health
Abstract Background Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have high rates of homelessness. This observational study evaluates Bridges to Housing, a cross‐sector intervention offering immediate access to housing and supports to this population in Toronto, Canada. Methods Twenty‐six participants, enrolled between April 2016 and December 2017, were assessed at baseline, six and 12 months post‐enrolment. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear modelling evaluated quality of life (QOL) and service needs outcomes. Twenty‐one service users and providers participated in semi‐structured interviews between August 2017 and June 2018 to elicit their experiences of the intervention, which were analysed thematically. Results Twelve months post‐enrolment, 24 participants were successfully housed and reported increased QOL scores ( F (2,43) = 13.73, p = <.001) and decreased perceived unmet service needs (Wald χ 2 (2) = 12.93, p = .002). Individual‐, intervention‐ and system‐level characteristics facilitated housing stability in this population. Conclusions Cross‐sector approaches can improve outcomes for homeless adults with IDD and may have an important role in supporting this marginalized population.