Comparing foreign born and Canadian born respondents to the panel study on homelessness : phase 1

Summary: The Panel Study on Homelessness in Ottawa has the objective of examining pathways into and out of homelessness by following persons who are homeless in Ottawa over time. An ultimate goal is to identify and explain factors that distinguish those who successfully exit homelessness from those who remain homeless or experience multiple episodes of homelessness. The first wave of the study received funding support from the City of Ottawa Homelessness Initiative Team, Housing Branch, drawn from the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative of the National Secretariat on Homelessness. This study took place between October 2002 and April 2003 and provided descriptive data on the demographic characteristics, housing history, health status, health and social service utilization and most pressing needs of the study participants (Aubry, Klodawsky, Hay, Birnie, 2003). The second wave began in the summer of 2004. Currently, work is underway to re-interview as many as possible of the original study participants in order to examine the course of homelessness, the factors that help or hinder the exit from homelessness, and the impacts of a changed housing status on their health and well-being.