Addressing the Stigma of Homelessness Through Employment and Community Education
Experiences of Participating in Two Novel Initiatives in Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Carrie Anne Marshall, Julia Holmes, Corinna Easton, Shauna Perez, Patti Plett, Elham Javadizadeh & Rebecca Goldszmidt

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Stigma is a serious issue affecting the lives of persons who experience homelessness and use substances. It influences every aspect of their daily lives including where they exist in public places, where they can live following homelessness, and access to housing, employment, and other opportunities that would enable thriving. In this report, we present the findings of two distinct studies which explore the experiences of administering or participating in two initiatives aimed at mitigating the stigma of homelessness in the lives of individuals who experience homelessness and use substances in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. These two initiatives were designed and led by Trellis HIV and Community Care in collaboration with a range of community agencies throughout the Kingston community and included: 1) the “Vocational Program,” an initiative aimed at providing accessible, low-barrier employment to individuals who are currently unhoused and engaged in active substance use; and 2) the “Support Not Stigma” workshop series, a series of seven workshops aimed at reducing stigma among service providers in services for individuals who experience homelessness and use substances. While this research was qualitative and not aimed at measuring the effectiveness of these interventions, our findings indicate that these two approaches were worthwhile initiatives that need to be implemented and evaluated in future implementation efforts. We provide several recommendations for research, policy and practice for consideration by researchers, policymakers and service providers in future efforts designed to reduce stigma in services and the broad Kingston community.​