Understanding housing and health through the lens of transitional housing members in a high-incarceration Baltimore City neighborhood: The GROUP Ministries Photovoice Project to promote community redevelopment

In this study we used photovoice to better understand transitional housing residents’ perceptions of housing and health at the individual and community levels. Discussion sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through a modified constant comparison approach. The results demonstrate that participants had a rich understanding of the complex connections between housing, neighborhood, and health that were intimately tied to the spatial concentration of incarceration in their community. The men identified social and physical sources of stress that manifest in a community-wide sense of hopelessness; however, utilization of community social networks and social capital provide opportunities for addressing these issues locally.

► Housing and health was closely tied to the spatial concentration of incarceration. ► Unemployment and household instability were prioritized as social stressors. ► Housing vacancies, trash, and rodents were prioritized as physical stressors. ► Building social capital may alleviate community consequences of incarceration.