| Recipient: | Legacy Place Society |
|---|---|
| Project: | Transition Residences and Research – Veterans in Crisis |
| Province: | Alberta |
| Period: | Fiscal year 2020-2021 |
| Funding: | $312, 000 |
Overview:
The Legacy Place Society, based in Calgary, provides transitional housing to Veterans and conducts research on the value of transitory housing towards the wellness of Veterans in crisis.
Project goals:
The research project aimed to identify:
- Underlying reasons why military members, Veterans, public safety personnel and their families use Legacy Place Society transitional housing;
- Recommendations for how Legacy Place Society might further develop its offerings to address homelessness and housing instability in this population; and
- Public practice and policy recommendations to address homelessness among military members, Veterans, public safety personnel and their families.
Project activities:
The project worked toward achieving these goals through the following activities:
- Collected information from clients to classify their status as Veteran, Indigenous, male/female, and whether or not residential support to the immediate family was reported, along with the nature of the crisis or difficulty.
- Developed a partnership through the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR).
- Supported the research activity, analysis and reporting. The scope of the research included an environmental scan of existing housing supports for Veterans in Alberta, and why they are or are not being accessed.
Project results:
Anonymous interviews and focus groups with 47 clients found that key risk factors contributing to homelessness or housing instability included family breakdown, mental health and substance use challenges, fear of stigma and career implications, and at times, a lack of organizational resources. This research study adds to the growing body of knowledge regarding homelessness among Canadian military personnel, Veterans, public service personnel and their families. While further research is required to explain risk factors associated with homelessness and housing instability in this population, this research highlights the importance of culturally sensitive housing options.