ABSTRACT

Nussbaum’s Central Capabilities refer to the elements of a well-lived life, and many adults who experience homelessness are deprived of these capabilities. The study aim was to investigate whether service users experience different homeless services as affording or constraining capabilities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with homeless service users (n = 77) in Housing First (HF) and staircase services (SS) in eight European countries. We used thematic analysis to identify three themes: autonomy and dependency, the relational impact of living arrangements, and community interaction and stigma. While SS participants were able to address their bodily integrity and health, their higher-order capabilities were constrained by their homeless situations. HF participants described home as a base from which they could enact a wide range of capabilities indicative of a well-lived life. We conclude that housing-led service models with appropriate supports are key to affording service users’ capabilities. Practical and policy implications are discussed.

摘要

努斯鲍姆（Nussbaum）的中央能力是指生活充实的要素，许多无家可归的成年人被剥夺了这些能力。该研究的目的是调查服务用户在提供或限制功能方面是否体验到不同的无家可归服务。我们对无家可归的服务使用者进行了半结构化访谈（n= 77）在八个欧洲国家/地区获得“住房第一（HF）”和“楼梯服务（SS）”。我们使用主题分析来确定三个主题：自治和依赖性，生活安排的关系影响以及社区互动和污名化。SS参与者能够解决他们的身体完整性和健康问题，但他们的高阶能力却受到他们无家可归情况的限制。HF参加者形容家庭为基础，他们可以据此发挥广泛的能力，表明自己过着美好的生活。我们得出结论，以住房为主导的服务模型以及适当的支持是提供服务用户能力的关键。讨论了实践和政策含义。