PAN’s HIV Housing Toolkit was initially launched in 2019 as part of the Positive Living, Positive Homes community-based research study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and co-led by the Pacific AIDS Network (PAN) and the University of Victoria. The toolkit illustrates and excellent example of applying research findings to practical knowledge sharing products.
Safe, affordable, and reliable housing plays a major role in the general health and wellbeing. It can be a source of comfort or stress, impacting individuals’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
In 2023, BC Housing conducted homeless counts in 20 communities throughout the province, providing a snapshot of people who are experiencing homelessness in a 24-hour period, their demographic characteristics, service use, and other information. According to Lorraine Copas, as reported by CBC in early October, chair of the community advisory board that co-ordinates Reaching Home, “We know there are many individuals experiencing hidden homelessness, including youth, seniors, Indigenous and racialized persons, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and we know that many individuals in these communities are also under-represented in these counts.”
The HIV Housing Toolkit was designed to be useful for anyone living with a chronic or highly stigmatized health condition who wants to know more about how housing works in British Columbia. We would like to acknowledge that the Toolkit was created with feedback, expertise, and external review of the contents including; people with lived and living experiences, staff of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, staff of Positive Living North, staff of staff of the Residential Tenancy Branch, and staff of First United.
There are nine modules to build capacity, skills, and understanding, including:
One of the most popular modules provided in the HIV Housing Toolkit is Module 2: How Housing Works in BC. Navigating the housing market, particularly for people living with HIV, can be challenging. Many people questioned in the Positive Living, Positive Homes study had good experiences finding subsidized housing, while some people found the process difficult and frustrating.
As part of the toolkit, the PAN team also collated a list of helpful printable graphics and resources, including the following:
The HIV Housing Toolkit is available and all modules can be found here.
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
This post was prepared for PAN’s Research and Evaluation Treehouse by:
Jennifer Demchuk, Manager of Research and Evaluation Manager, [email protected]