The impact of single room accommodations on overdose risk for women who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada

People who use drugs (PWUD) face significant barriers in obtaining affordable housing. Single room accommodation (SRAs) housing have thus signified last resort housing for structurally vulnerable urban populations, including PWUD. While the health impacts of SRA housing among PWUD are well documented, little is known about the ways social-structural environments of SRA housing distinctly impact womens risk of overdose. This study will examine how rapidly evolving housing and neighbourhood-level characteristics impact overdose risks for vulnerably housed women who use drugs within the context of overlapping housing and opioid overdose crises in Vancouver, BC. This study will utilize innovative qualitative and geospatial methods to longitudinally examine how rapidly changing environments of vulnerable women who use drugs shapes overdose risk. The research findings will inform strategies needed to respond to these overlapping crises as part of a broader emergency response.

Faculty Supervisor:

Robert Hogg

Student:

Alexandra Collins

Partner:

Pivot Legal Society

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: