University of Calgary Social Work faculty researching the issue of homelessnessJohn Graham John Graham bioDr. John Graham, the Murray Fraser Professor in Community Economic Development at the University of Calgary, has a longstanding interest in issues around homelessness. Before becoming an academic, he worked in direct mental health practice, often with homeless persons. Over the years, Graham’s interest in the living conditions of the homeless led to a number of research studies, including his latest book, Design considerations for shelters for the homeless, co-written with Dr. Christine Walsh from the Faculty of Social Work and Dr. Bev Sandalack from the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary. This book provides insight into one aspect of this interconnection by looking specifically at the design and function of shelters for homeless individuals. It evolved out of an applied research project – a fusion between the disciplines of environmental design and social work – that sought to better appreciate design possibilities for a homeless shelter in downtown Calgary, Alberta. Graham has received funding from two SSHRC Homelessness and Diversity Strategic grants on studies dealing with homelessness, as well as funding from HRSDC, Torode Foundation, and People + Place. Topics include optimal shelter service delivery and design, and community capacity building. Along with colleague Dr. Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff, Dr. Graham is co-chair of Growing Home: Housing and Homelessness in Canada. Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff bioThe challenges of housing and appropriate treatment for the severely mentally ill (SMI) have been at the forefront of Dr. Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff’s career. Her work has included examining the housing needs of this group of people and the most appropriate environment for this housing. She has collaborated on looking at housing challenges for those with a history of mental illness who are at high risk of incarceration, and recently completed a collaboration with the mental health sector of the Calgary Homeless Foundation to housing availability and needs and develop a strategic plan to address these needs. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Waegemakers Schiff was director for research at Pathways to Housing in New York City. She was involved with a study examining housing for dually diagnosed persons in a residential therapeutic community. She has also examined the housing needs of homeless families with two adult caregivers in the household, and the elements of successful emergency shelter programs for this high needs group. Waegemakers Schiff’s current work includes an exploration of the development of an intentional housing community based on a Clubhouse philosophy, as well as an examination of correlates of housing and satisfaction for persons with SMI in a variety of housing arrangements. Along with her colleague Dr. John Graham, Dr. Waegemakers Schiff is co-chair of Growing Home: Housing and Homelessness in Canada. Christine Walsh bioDr. Christine Walsh’s research interests contribute to the understanding of violence across the lifespan, and populations affected by social exclusion, poverty and homelessness. She is primary investigator on the following studies around homelessness: Home: Perspectives of Women who are Homeless, and The Centre Street Urban Design and Social Strategy Project (Phases II and III). Along with Dr. John Graham and Dr. Bev Sandalack, she has written Design considerations for shelters for the homeless, which will be published in 2009. Walsh is a founding member of the Downtown Community Initiative, a partnership between the University of Calgary’s Faculties of Social Work and Nursing and the Salvation Army Centre of Hope. Debb Hurlock bio Dr. Debb Hurlock is a community-based researcher jointly appointed by the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary and the United Way of Calgary and Area. This innovative appointment has been responsible for two studies to date. First, in partnership with the Accessible Housing Society and the Calgary Homeless Foundation, Hurlock engaged in community-based research to address the question of inappropriate housing for people with physical disabilities. The research is based on a survey of people with physical disabilities living in Calgary, combined with creative ways of listening to compelling stories of people with physical disabilities and their struggles to find appropriate housing. The research speaks to the practical needs of dwelling, but also addresses issues of inequality and how this manifests in social infrastructures, particularly when Calgary is experiencing a drastic shortage of affordable and accessible housing for people with disabilities. Second, Hurlock and co-investigator Dr. Constance Barlow are working to address the complex and hidden issue of sex trade in Calgary. One of the issues emerging in this research is the lack of affordable housing for women involved in or leaving the sex trade and their children. One of the research results will be advocating for the creation of housing support for women involved in or leaving the sex trade. |