Missbrukare kan bo - En kvalitativ studie om motstånd i arbetet med Bostad först

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the study was to investigate challenges, resistances and prejudices professionals experience in their day-to-day job when working with homelessness according to the model Housing first in Sweden. For this, I conducted six qualitative interviews with Case Managers within Housing first programs. The interviewees all worked close to the clients, and in cooperation with landlords, the social services as well as other societal actors. For the analysis I have used the Theory of Stigma, the Sociology of Deviance and Stigma Theory. The results show that the kinds of resistance the Case Managers are facing varies between economic and political resistance, and resistance that they described as stemming from fears and prejudices towards homeless addicts. The study also highlights the interviewees’ experiences of resistance from the clients themselves, given the forms of insecurity, mistrust, and fear of failing. As Housing first differentiates from the Step model, which is a more established model implemented as a response to the issue of homelessness, the study indicates that certain values linked to the Step model are deeply rooted in Swedish society. These values are revealed in a common belief that citizens must deserve their home – a belief which is contested by the Housing first model. By looking at different kinds of resistance through the lens of Stigma the phenomenon can be understood within a wider view.