Authors

• Suominen, Petteri (Housing Services Foundation ASPA)
• Hyvärinen, Sanni (Housing Services Foundation ASPA)

Keywords

care of the disabled, disabled persons, domestic safety, fire safety measures, housing, mentally disabled persons, mentally ill, personal safety, sheltered housing, supported housing, supported living, trust

Abstract

The survey charted the views of people living in supported housing (disabled people, people in psychiatric rehabilitation, and other people requiring supported housing) on safety, particularly housing safety and safety in the neighbourhood. Need for support was also surveyed.

The respondents were first asked about the kind of support received, perceptions of safety when moving about in the neighbourhood during the day and in the evening, products and services that would improve home safety (e.g. fire detector, safety switches in electronic devices, personal aid/care), and products and services improving safety they had at home.

Views were surveyed on the measures that would improve safety in the neighbourhood (e.g. improved lighting on streets and in parks, more events in the community), trust in employees in the housing unit, trust in people met outside home and when running errands, and trust in authorities (e.g. social services, municipal decision makers). Opinions on the need of support were charted as well as frequency of meeting different people, participation in an association or group, reason for not participating in the activities of an association/group, and participation in online discussions or communities.

Background variables were the respondent's age, gender, and disability/condition that causes need for support.