Naomi Bailey, RMIT University

From sacred heart to sacred man: breaking the cycle of chronic homelessness

People who are chronically homeless are among the most vulnerable and marginalised members of the community. Chronic homelessness is a major health and social issue with implications not only for the individual but for society as a whole. This project is a qualitative longitudinal study examining the role of supported housing in ‘breaking the cycle’ of chronic homelessness. Sacred Heart Mission is the industry partner to this APAI.

Sacred Heart runs Rooming House Plus, a supported housing model for people who have been chronically homeless. Research participants will all be drawn from these tenants. At the site there are 68 bedsitters, a separate women’s floor with added security, a gym, art studio and commercial kitchen that produces meals for high-needs residents. Some residents receive formal case management from on-site staff. These elements of accommodation and on-site support constitute the supported housing model which is being implemented across Australia and internationally as a response to chronic homelessness.

The supported housing model is a relatively recent response to chronic homelessness in Australia. Rooming House Plus has been running for five years, Common Ground opened in Adelaide in 2008 and in Melbourne in 2010. We have very little research that looks at how, and indeed if, the supported housing model works for people who have been homeless in the Australian context. Main research questions include: do pathways into chronic homelessness have an effect on pathways out of homelessness, how do people who have been chronically homeless describe and enact home, what role does case-management support play in breaking the cycle, and the impact of permanent accommodation on a sense of citizenship. While I am currently in the very early stages (two months in!), I am interested in using citizenship, and particularly Agamben’s theory of homo sacer (the sacred man), as a framework for understanding the ways in which people transition from chronic homelessness to being housed.

Naomi Bailey - Naomi.bailey@ rmit.edu.au

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