Experimental programme “housing first” for the mentally ill homeless
The French interministerial delegation for housing (Diahl) and the public health laboratory EA3279 are conducting a four-year program on the effectiveness of a Canadian-styled programme for homeless people with severe psychiatric problems. This is in the broader context of a national “access to housing” programme. EpiConcept has been contracted to create a mobile data collection system to follow key indicators of homeless individuals both inside and outside of the program. The software will be based on EpiConcept’s Voozanoo framework.
The collection will be done using netbooks (small inexpensive laptop computers) in a non internet-connected mode. Carried out in Lille, Marseille, Paris, and Toulouse, investigators will use the computer-based questionnaire to interview individuals every 6 months over a four-year period. The programme’s approach is based on the concept that an individual's first and primary need is to obtain stable housing. Other mental health issues can then be addressed once housing is obtained. The research objectives are to measure the effectiveness of the "housing first" programme compared to the health and social services currently in place.
