NCRM videos

Participatory Research with People Who Are or Were Homeless

David Shallcross

12-11-2025

This module presents three core principles for conducting participatory research with homeless populations, emphasizing the need to understand diverse social contexts, avoid harm, and maintain flexibility throughout the research process.

David Shallcross outlines essential considerations for researchers working with people experiencing or having experienced homelessness, focusing on three universal principles adapted for this vulnerable population. The presentation emphasizes understanding the social context and diversity within homeless experiences, implementing harm reduction strategies around exploitation and retraumatization, and maintaining flexible approaches that accommodate the practical realities and priorities of participants’ lives.