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Caring or Triggering: safety and substance use in homeless shelters

Caring or Triggering: safety and substance use in homeless shelters

Caring or Triggering: safety and substance use in homeless shelters

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - 10:00:00 AM until

This webinar will explore how homelessness shelter environments shape substance use among residents, and residents’ ability to transition towards independent living. It draws on comparative international research across three cities: Manchester (UK), Athens (Greece), and Santiago (Chile). Through narratives from both shelter residents and service providers, the study identifies key dimensions of safety within shelters. This webinar will discuss how perceptions of safety and risk within shelters can lead to residents’ social withdrawal and isolation, increasing the likelihood of substance use. The findings show that safe shelter environments are essential for supporting residents to manage substance use and transition towards independent living.

This webinar will be led by:

Sotiria Kyriakidou, a researcher focusing on homelessness, temporary accommodation, substance use, stigma, and harm reduction. She is a PhD candidate in Human Geography, under the supervision of Dr Cristina Temenos, at the University of Manchester.

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