ABSTRACT
Dr Jenny Penton, Brisbane Youth Service
The value of lived experience is widely acknowledged within community services, and co-design is increasingly recognised as a tool for building stronger and more effective services. Whilst there is much research into these approaches in health contexts, there is a significant gap in the literature around lived experience within homelessness services, particularly in the context of young people.
While several studies about lived experiences of homelessness have been documented, these often acknowledge the challenges and barriers involved in this engagement, noting the complexities of people’s lives, the high incidence of mental health issues, substance misuse and other health problems, and the perception that this demographic is hard-to-reach and unable to meaningfully contribute.