Event Title
How Participants Experience London Housing Agencies’ Substance Use Policies
Abstract
In London, Ontario, the number of opioid overdoses (OO) and overdose-related deaths (ORD) in the homeless population has increased rapidly in the last several years. Since 2018, the number of OO reported by London emergency shelter and housing agencies through the Homeless Facilities Information System has increased by 790%. In response to this, Western University was approached by several housing and emergency shelter agencies that were seeking consistent policies to reduce overdoses. In collaboration with those agencies, this community-based research project aimed to better understand the perspective of participants (i.e., service users) at these agencies regarding current substance use and overdose-related policies in place and how they impact their lives. We conducted sixteen semi-structured interviews with participants who use drugs and are precariously housed at the three participating emergency shelters and housing agencies. These three agencies each had unique policies and catered to different demographics. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative description methods, including content and thematic analysis, to identify broad themes associated with participants’ experiences at emergency shelters and housing agencies in London. The major themes will inform local policies related to shelter substance use and precarious housing. This project is part of a broader series of projects which aims to establish consistent and comprehensive drug policies that include perspectives from participants, volunteers, and staff in London’s housing and emergency shelter agencies.
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
How Participants Experience London Housing Agencies’ Substance Use Policies
In London, Ontario, the number of opioid overdoses (OO) and overdose-related deaths (ORD) in the homeless population has increased rapidly in the last several years. Since 2018, the number of OO reported by London emergency shelter and housing agencies through the Homeless Facilities Information System has increased by 790%. In response to this, Western University was approached by several housing and emergency shelter agencies that were seeking consistent policies to reduce overdoses. In collaboration with those agencies, this community-based research project aimed to better understand the perspective of participants (i.e., service users) at these agencies regarding current substance use and overdose-related policies in place and how they impact their lives. We conducted sixteen semi-structured interviews with participants who use drugs and are precariously housed at the three participating emergency shelters and housing agencies. These three agencies each had unique policies and catered to different demographics. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative description methods, including content and thematic analysis, to identify broad themes associated with participants’ experiences at emergency shelters and housing agencies in London. The major themes will inform local policies related to shelter substance use and precarious housing. This project is part of a broader series of projects which aims to establish consistent and comprehensive drug policies that include perspectives from participants, volunteers, and staff in London’s housing and emergency shelter agencies.