Housing Preferences Among Persons With Severe Mental Illness and Co-Occurring Substance Use in Assertive Community Treatment A Qualitative Study

This article explores experiences and perceptions of good quality housing from the perspectives of persons diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) and enrolled in a Norwegian program of assertive community treatment. The study design was descriptive and explorative. A total of 20 personal semistructured interviews were conducted with the 11 participants. Systematic text condensation was applied in the analyses. The participants described former living situations that were driven primarily by treatment providers and housing availability, as compared to their current living situations, which reflected a considerably higher degree of consultation and choice. The participants valued a secure housing situation, a balanced configuration of support and independence, and satisfying living environments. These factors were facilitated by enabling the participants to exercise choice over their housing situation. The study findings suggest that the development of successful housing programs for persons with SMI/SUD depends on their inclusion in housing planning and decision-making processes about where to live and when and how treatment providers should be present in their home.