"It's more than just being in a place, it's more like a peace of mind"

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Homelessness is a visible and persistent manifestation of social and structural inequity in the United States. When individuals experience homelessness, their ontological security, which refers to the sense of constancy, safety, and trust in daily life, is often deeply eroded. We explored the connections between embodied experiences and ontological security among residents of a transitional housing program implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews between November 2022 and October 2023 with 24 former residents of Operation Safer Ground (OSG), an Alameda County, California program that provided non-congregate supportive housing for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Participants described OSG residences as supporting physical wellbeing, comfort, and restoration. When experienced daily, these features contributed to embodied ease and ontological security for most participants. Rules and security measures often enhanced feelings of safety and order, but some residents found them infantilizing and destabilizing through inconsistent enforcement. OSG's low-barrier model of care produced mixed effects: for some, proximity to fellow residents' substance use, mental health crisis, or death heightened vigilance and anxiety; for others, being housed with family members and pets stabilized identity and strengthened continuity.

CONCLUSIONS: By exploring participants' embodied responses to the OSG program's physical environment, rules and regulations, and communal living, we were able to chart how experiences that evoke visceral feelings of safety, control, and well-being can influence ontological security in the context of a transitional housing program.