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Housing Status/Stability and HIV
Risk Among Drug Users
Research Method:
Basic Research
Principal Investigators:
Julia Dickson-Gomez, Ph.D., (PI), Margaret R. Weeks, Ph.D.,
(Co-PI)
Grant:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21-DA 018607)
Dates of Study:
2004-2005
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Abstract
HIV researchers have increasingly called for an examination
of the way structural factors, including physical, social, cultural,
organizational, community, economic, legal and policy aspects
of the environment, impede or facilitate individuals' efforts
to avoid HIV infection. However, these factors have been understudied
in HIV prevention research, in part because public health interventions
have emphasized individual level behavioral and biomedical prevention
approaches. In addition, there are a number of methodological
challenges in showing the causal pathways between structural
factors and individual risk behaviors. One area in particular
that has received little research attention but may have significant
impact on the context in which drug and sex-related HIV risk
occurs, is housing status and the role of housing policies in
limiting drug users' access to stable housing. This study uses
qualitative methods to study the links between housing policies,
drug users' access to housing, variations in housing status
and housing options of drug users, and HIV risk in Hartford,
CT. Qualitative data will be analyzed to understand the relationship
between policy, neighborhood characteristics, and personal factors
that affect drug users' housing status and stability, and the
relationship between housing status and stability and HIV risk.
This project will also develop a survey instrument based on
findings from the qualitative data which provides quantitative
measures of factors in the research model. This survey will
then be available for testing and use in a larger research project
studying the structural and personal factors that affect drug
users' access to housing, and the effects of drug users' housing
status and stability on HIV risk. |
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Project
Goals and Objectives
- Identify and examine housing
policies that impact upon active drug users'
access to housing.
- Explore the relation between
the housing status/stability and HIV risk of
drug users.
- Explore personal factors related
to homelessness and housing stability among
active drug users over time.
- To explore the impact of housing
policies on the context of HIV risk at the neighborhood-level,
such as housing availability for drug users
in relation to neighborhood development, risks
(drug use/sales) and resources.
- Develop a survey instrument
based on findings from the qualitative data
which provides quantitative measures of structural
and personal factors that affect drug users'
access to housing, variations in drug users
living situations and levels of stability.
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Project
Details
In the first phase of
the study, we will conduct ethnographic mapping
of the city of Hartford to assess available low-income
and subsidized housing in relation to areas of neighborhood
development, high drug use/sales, social and housing
services and other neighborhood characteristics
that affect drug users' housing options and HIV
risk. We will also conduct 35 key informant interviews
with landlords and service providers to explore
barriers and facilitators that drug users' face
in accessing housing. In the second phase, we will
conduct longitudinal in-depth interviews with 65
drug users at three points in time (intake, 3 month
and 6 month) to explore retrospectively and prospectively
the personal factors related to their housing status
and housing stability over time, the relation between
housing policy and drug users' housing stability,
and the relation between housing status/stability
and HIV risk. In the third phase, we will develop
a survey instrument to measure experienced drug
and housing policies and other individual characteristics
that have facilitated or impeded access to housing,
drug users' HIV risks, neighborhood characteristics
that affect HIV risk, various housing or homeless
statuses, and the real and perceived stability of
housing status. Findings from this study will aid
in the conceptualization and measurement of new
structural determinants of HIV risk that have received
insufficient research focus to date. This study
will contribute significantly to the development
of interventions to reduce some of the root causes
of drug users' vulnerability to HIV infection including
developing new housing alternatives for active drug
users at high risk for homelessness, HIV prevention
interventions that address contextual risk factors
of homeless drug users, and policy recommendations
to improve drug users' access to housing and overall
health.
Project Findings
Poster presentation (pdf)
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Project
Contact:
Julia
Dickson-Gomez, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Project Staff:
Julia Dickson-Gomez, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Margaret R. Weeks, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator
Mark Convey, M.A.
Ethnographer
Maria Martinez
Community Researcher
Helena DeMoura Castro
Community Researcher
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Link
to Research Methods page
Link
to Basic Research page
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