STUDY ON THE PRESENT CONDITION OF “HOMELESS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING” IN TAIPEI CITY

Focusing on the supply network of supportive housing and the role of each actor

Abstract

 Homeless is a common issue in city area. In the case of Taipei city, Taiwan, Wanhua district is known as the area where most homeless gather and live.
 In this study, we define those private housings that are provided for ex-homeless as a next stage of temporary residence like shelter as ‘Homeless supportive housing’ (called HSH below). We first review the homeless policy in Taipei city and mainly focus on the supply network of these supportive housing. We also clarify the role of each actors who involved in the network including ex-homeless, social worker and house owner.
 We use research methods including literature review, interview and site survey and life history survey to conduct the case study in Taipei. We first realize that the HSH system has already established in the East Asian cases like Tokyo, Osaka in Japan and Seoul, South Korea literature review. We then review and summarize the homeless support policy in Taipei city based on the interview with social workers of Taipei city government. In order to make clear the present condition of homeless supportive housing in Taipei, we interview the house social worker and house owner. On the other hand, we also conduct life history survey to realize the life experience and living condition of ex-homeless, those who are the habitant of HSH.
 We first summarize several pattern and route for homeless to get into HSH accepting the rent subsidy from Taipei city government based on the analysis of life history survey. We also evaluate the effect of HSH using the statistic data and the data collected from the interview with social workers. We consider that HSH actually helps homeless to get rid of homelessness, however, issues like housing supply, low housing condition and life quality exists. Finally, in order to clarify the network system of HSH, we analyze the relation between habitant with house owner, house owner with social worker, social worker with habitant. We discover that HSH provides co-caring mechanism for both habitant and house owner since in most cases both of them are elderly. Habitant has very strong fiduciary relation with the social worker since social worker provides them with case-by-case consulting and life support. House owner also strongly trusts the social worker since they will introduce those who are willing to live a normal life and behave will.
 The HSH in Taipei has a different characteristic with the case of Japan or Korea while HSH is provided mainly by public sector. However, Taipei strongly relies on the supply from private sector. Public sector provides subsidy and financial support for homeless to get into HSH, however the life quality and living condition in not secured. In our future research, the actual life quality in HSH and how it influence the future planning of habitant is considered important.