Infrastructures of dignity: Home in transitional housing and shelters for older adults experiencing homelessness in Canada
Hoselton, J., Walsh, C. A., Grittner, A., Canham, S. L., Mahmood, A., & Sussman, T. (2026, Oct). Infrastructures of dignity: Home in transitional housing and shelters for older adults experiencing homelessness in Canada. [Paper presentation]. The 55th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology, Charlottetown, PEI, October 15-17, 2026.
Abstract
Objectives
As late-life homelessness increases, understanding how older adults make home amidst housing instability is critical. Drawing on Boccagni’s conceptualization of homing, this study examines how older adults foster a sense of home within transitional housing and shelter settings, and what material, spatial, and sensory conditions enable this process.
Methods
We conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of photovoice-informed interviews with 49 older adults (aged 50+) residing in transitional housing and shelters across Vancouver, Calgary, and Montréal. Drawing on Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis and guided by Boccagni’s homing framework, we examined participants’ verbal accounts of their everyday lived environments, with attention to material, spatial, sensory, and affective dimensions of home.
Results
Participants evaluated their current environments in relation to prior experiences of non-home, including emergency shelters, precarious housing, and unsheltered living. Across sites, homing was supported by foundational material and spatial conditions, including access to private beds, bathrooms, kitchens, and personal objects, alongside sensory features such as natural light, temperature control, cleanliness, and quiet. These conditions collectively enabled sanctuary-like experiences that supported participants’ dignity, bodily autonomy, healing, and future-oriented thinking, even within time-limited accommodation.
Conclusions
By conceptualizing home as a process rather than a permanent state, this study challenges dominant aging in place narratives and provides empirical support for aging in the right place (AIRP) frameworks in housing policy and design. Findings underscore the importance of investing in dwelling-level design features that prioritize dignity and autonomy in transitional housing for older adults experiencing homelessness.
