From contested spaces to choice-centered places: using geographic interviews to understand young adults' experiences in permanent supportive housing

• Published in: Children's geographies 2024-09, Vol.22 (5), p.661-681
• Main Authors: Littman, Danielle Maude, Cummings Melton, Colleen, Holloway, Brendon, Teixeira, Samantha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Demographics; Geographic information systems; Housing needs; permanent supportive housing; qualitative geographic information systems; trauma-informed design; Young adults; youth experiencing homelessness
• ISSN: 1473-3285; 1473-3277
• DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2024.2335189

Young adults who have endured chronic housing instability have often been failed by settings which have inadequately supported them - such as home and school settings. As such, young people experiencing homelessness and housing instability are seeking supportive settings. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is a burgeoning supportive intervention in the youth homelessness services landscape. Our study used the geographic interview methodology, a novel qualitative geographic information systems methodology, to understand how young adult residents (N = 15) in PSH experience the physical setting. Residents experienced the common spaces in PSH as contested spaces; meanwhile, they sought choice-centered spaces - where there are choices of what to do, who to spend time with, and how to spend time. PSH settings for young adults may embrace choice-centered principles and practices when building trauma-informed PSH for young adults. Future research should explore these findings across demographic and geographic differences.