Housing people with substance abuse problems – KBT has evaluated the residents experiences in Jarleveien 10
User Asks User at Jarleveien 10
The new Jarleveien 10 was completed in the winter of 2017. The building then had 44 housing units for drug-addicted people, divided into several separate wings. After three years of operation, KBT has conducted a User Ask User survey to map the residents' experiences, and thereby contribute to a greater degree of user adaptation and quality improvement of the housing offer. In parallel, NTNU Samfunnsforskning ( Social Research) has conducted a survey about Jarleveien 10 as a workplace.
In our User Ask User survey, we conducted 12 interviews with residents at Jarleveien 10. After analyzing the data material, we have sorted the findings into 7 categories:
- The importance of the offer
- Physical living environment
- Social living environment
- Health
- The drug environment in Jarleveien
- Communication and expectations about offers, and the way forward
- Recommendations for further operation
Many drug addicts in one place
In the interviews, it emerges that the residents have different needs. For those who just want a roof over their heads, Jarleveien is a good alternative. For others, it was a challenge to live so close to people in the drug environment, and some felt that this could reinforce their own problems.
In Jarleveien 10, both security guards and health personnel work. Several of the residents we interviewed experienced the guards' presence in particular as positive. Both because they contributed to a sense of security, and because they would have everyday conversations with the residents.
Institutional character
For the residents of Jarleveien 10, the building can be experienced as an institution. Some of those we interviewed also got prison associations due to the inside design of the building. Locking, access controls and a steel toilet in the bathroom contributed to this, among other things.
Some pictures from Jarleveien 10. Common kitchen, hallway with common area and one of the apartments (Photo: Byggindustrien)
Recovery?
When it comes to residents' opportunities for recovery, the data material in this User Ask User survey reveals a great potential for improvement. Among other things, several conveyed dreams for the future, but lacked support in being able to follow these dreams. Many experience Jarleveien as a "last stop", with little hope for the future.
Recommendations for further operation
At the end of the report on the residents' experiences with Jarleveien 10, we have listed some recommendations for further operation. Among other things, we recommend clarifying an objective of a recovery-oriented offer, which corresponds with Trondheim municipality's overall thinking for the service offer within drug abuse problems and mental health. With a view to recovery, we recommend, among other things, having a greater focus on relationship building, more shared meals and more facilitation of activity. We also recommend having both a doctor and an experienced consultant in connection with the building. Read the full list in the report (norwegian version only).