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Symposium

Social Research, Policy, and Practice

Who Fits and How? Supporting Tenancy and Fostering Belonging in Housing for Older Persons Experiencing Homelessness

Thursday, November 14, 2024
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
Location: Room 611
CE: 1.5

Homelessness among adults age 50+ years is increasing across North America. The Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) Partnership is a 5-year study of eleven promising practice organizations addressing older adult homelessness in three Canadian cities. This symposium will share findings from AIRP research on what supports a sense of belonging and social integration among older persons experiencing homelessness (OPEH) within temporary and permanent supportive housing programs. Presenters include interdisciplinary researchers with a diversity of perspectives stemming from gerontology, education, and social work. The symposium will begin with Erisman presenting a study of service providers’ perspectives on who is eligible for services and what actions providers can undertake to support clients’ ongoing tenancy in shelter/housing organizations. Weldrick will then discuss mechanisms for successfully supporting social integration from a study with OPEH in a temporary housing program. Following, Richardson will present findings on how multidirectional caring relations can foster belonging in a homeless shelter for older adults fleeing abuse. Finally, Walsh’s study findings will highlight ways to promote AIRP for male veterans in a temporary housing program. Tam Perry, an expert in housing transitions for older adults, will discuss the implications of these papers and reflect on processes of social integration and cultivating belonging for OPEH in temporary and permanent housing. Together, participants of the symposium will advance this emerging scholarship using a wide range of methods and perspectives.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe how medical and behavioral factors impact eligibility for shelter/housing programs and how providers support tenancy for OPEH.
  • Understand processes and mechanisms which support social integration and belonging for specific OPEH populations in temporary housing.

Presentations:

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    "I Feel Like a Somebody Again": The Ethics of Care in a Shelter for Older Adults Fleeing Abuse

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Lena Rebecca Richardson, PhD (she/her/hers) – Simon Fraser University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Social Integration in Temporary Housing: Perspectives of Older Persons Experiencing Homelessness

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Rachel Weldrick, PhD (she/they) – McMaster University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Being and Staying Eligible for Services: Providers' Views on Supporting Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Lena Rebecca Richardson, PhD (she/her/hers) – Simon Fraser University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Cultivating Belongingness: In Temporary Supportive Housing for Older Male Veterans in Calgary, Canada

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Christine A. Walsh, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Calgary