The Experiences of Women Living in Social Housing with Mental Illness and Trauma Histories
Abstract
The experiences of women in social housing are shaped by their gender, mental health, and trauma, which is overlooked in existing literature. I conducted this research to fill a gap in existing literature. My thesis was conducted in two phases: 1) a scoping review exploring the experiences of women living in social housing with mental illness; and 2) a secondary analysis guided by intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1989), which explored the experiences of living in social housing for women living with the effects of trauma. The questions that guided my research were: 1) What are the experiences of women in social housing with mental illness? and 2) What are the experiences of women who have histories of trauma as they live in social housing? My findings indicate that mental illness and trauma intensify the challenges faced by women living in social housing, highlighting the need for targeted research, practice, and policies.