The role of housing stability in predicting social capital

Exploring social support and psychological integration as mediators for individuals with histories of homelessness and vulnerable housing

Bibliographic Data

ID11055041
AuthorsAyda Agha (Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario Canada, corresponding author), Sung-Wook Hwang (0000-0002-1276-1101, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada), Stephen W Hwang, Anita Palepu (0000-0002-7881-4800, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Department of Medicine University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada), Tim Aubry (0000-0002-6204-3773, Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario Canada)
Year2024
Volume74
Issue3-4
Pages173-183
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0091-0562 • E-ISSN: 1573-2770
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajcp.12754
PMID38713847
OpenAlexW4396688200
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited42

Social capital is a collective asset important for individual and population well‐being. Individuals who experience homelessness may face barriers in accessing social capital due to health challenges, small social networks, and social exclusion. Data from a 4‐year longitudinal study was used to determine if housing stability predicted greater social capital and if this relationship was mediated by social support and psychological integration for a sample of 855 homeless and vulnerably housed participants living in three Canadian cities. Findings showed that housing stability was not associated with trust and linking social capital. However, higher levels of social support and psychological integration had a mediating effect on the association between housing stability and trust and linking social capital. These findings highlight the importance of social support and psychological integration as means of promoting social capital for people who experience homelessness and vulnerable housing. Social interventions for housed individuals with histories of homelessness may be an avenue to foster greater social capital by building relationships with neighbors and connections to community resources and activities

Criminology · Economic growth · Economics · Health psychology · Psychiatry · Public health · Public housing · Social capital · Social science · Social support · Sociology · Supportive housing · Health disparities and outcomes · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies