‘Intentionally’ Homeless? Why Some Street Homeless People Decline Housing

With homelessness continuing to rise in England, the government has committed additional funding to try and reduce it. While efforts to support unsheltered people are limited by insufficient housing stock, some street homeless people are also declining the housing that is offered to them. There is disagreement about whether people are intentionally homeless or services are failing to house them appropriately. This study aimed to understand why some street homeless people decline offers of housing, from their own perspectives. It appears to be the first study of its kind. The research questions were: (1) How do people living on the streets experience street homelessness? (2) How do people living on the streets make sense of their experience of declining housing, or accepting housing temporarily? Interviews from six participants were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. All participants identified practical ways that the housing offered did not meet their basic physical needs. To provide a deeper
understanding, the analysis developed a psychological interpretation of how this was experienced. Participants experienced both homelessness and housing offers as dehumanising, isolating and dangerous and as a threat to their identity. They declined housing in pursuit of autonomy, competence, relatedness, self-worth and physical safety. Findings are discussed in the context of legislation, policy and self-determination theory. It is suggested that self-determination theory could usefully be brought into Psychologically Informed Environments initiatives to improve service provision.