NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area

Tags: health, social sciences, housing, remote community, homelessness

Objective(s): To support the work of K'asho Got'ine Housing Society by advancing an understanding of how transitional housing programs can be adapted and implemented in a way that promotes community strengths and promotes a sense of home through contextually- and culturally appropriate supports.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4861. In this project, the principal aim is to support the work of K'asho Got'ine Housing Society (KGHS) by advancing an understanding of how transitional hosing programs can be adapted and implemented in a way that promotes community strengths and promotes a sense of home through contextually- and culturally appropriate supports. The objectives of the research will be explored through a mixed methods approach, combining a number of qualitative research methods. The Principal Investigator (PI) will conduct a comprehensive literature review on the cultural geographies of home with a particular look at Indigenous home, rural, remote, hidden, and Indigenous homelessness, transitional and supportive housing, and social determinants of Indigenous health. The PI was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to the community of Fort Good Hope in the spring of 2019, this was a chance to observe the community and meet the people from KGSH whom the PI would be working with. It provided a visual layout as well as the atmosphere of the community. Due to COVID 19 pandemic all university research related travel has been cancelled which has created a new direction in my initial research plans. To continue with this very important research in the safest possible manner, the PI will be writing a scoping review of transitional and supportive housing and Housing First programs in northern, rural, remote and/or Indigenous communities across Canada and Alaska. Semi-structured telephone and online interviews will be conducted in replace of travel and one on one interviews. The PI has been invited to use third party interviews and housing forum notes that were taken by representatives of PlanIt North in conjunction with KGHS. Although these interviews were conducted in 2017 the information is still relevant to this research. The position is that of an Indigenous researcher, therefor the PI will be incorporating Indigenous methodologies throughout the research. The PI fully understands that being from a different nation than the people in the community of Fort Good Hope and being aware that there are different protocols in place that will be followed with the upmost respect. Following completion of preliminary drafts of my substantive chapters, the PI will present the finding and distribute a brief report for research participants and partners. This will be done through video to be viewed individually by community members or audio to be presented via local radio. Feedback on the finding will be invited online though Zoom or WebEx, by phone or by email. The PI will also engage with visual storytelling methods such as a video or audio presentation or graphic design in order to broaden the accessibility of this research, not only to the research partners involved, but also to a wider northern audience. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from May 21, 2021 to December 31, 2021.