Rural Development Network/U of A School of Public Health – Coordinated Access for Rural Homelessness

Homelessness is a social issue and is defined as a state of unstable, inappropriate, and inconsistent housing. It is linked to the social determinants of health and can result in negative personal and health-related outcomes. As such, the Rural Development Network’s (RDN) homelessness initiatives emerged due to a lack of recognition, data and understanding of homelessness in rural Canada. Homelessness is often more visible in urban spaces than rural communities, and there are often fewer resources and supports available to those experiencing homelessness in rural areas. Therefore, collaboration on a local and regional scale of relevant services can efficiently leverage resources, knowledge and skills to help clients who are experiencing rural homelessness. This is referred to as “coordinated access.” Drawing on both research and data from direct engagement with communities, this project seeks to explore how coordinated access may be implemented in rural Canada. This project will assess the strengths and challenges of implementing coordinated access in rural & remote communities through analysis of existing organizational data and relevant research.

Faculty Supervisor:

Erin Pollock

Student:

Partner:

Rural Development Network

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program: