Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

While effective treatment for HIV is available, people who use drugs (PWUD) living with HIV continue to experience poor HIV-related health and other unfair and avoidable health outcomes. While housing status (e.g., homelessness) has previously been identified as a factor that influence the health of PWUD living with HIV and other vulnerable populations, little is known about the health consequences of residential displacement. Residential displacement is defined as the involuntary move of households from residence, such as when eviction or rent increase forces tenants out of housing. The ongoing affordable housing crisis alongside social distancing orders (e.g., no-guest policies in low-income housing) and a looming eviction crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to further displace low-income, marginalized groups across North America. The proposed study based in Vancouver, Canada will be among the first to examine how residential displacement influences health. Using innovative research methods that involve interviews, observations, and mapping, this study will follow 40 PWUD living with HIV for a period of one year to explore the impact of residential displacement on health among this population. The proposed study will involve meaningful participation of community partners (e.g., HIV service organizations, drug user-led organizations) and peer research assistants in the research process to ensure that findings are useful to the affected community. Study findings will inform health and social policy and program recommendations to reduce and prevent adverse and inequitable health outcomes for PWUD living with HIV.