Client Perception and Utilization of an Innovative "One-Stop" Service Center for People Experiencing Homelessness: A Mixed-Methods Case Study

The provision of multiple services in one-stop centers is a promising but understudied trend in social services for people experiencing homelessness, many of whom also struggle with mental health issues. One-stop centers theoretically remove many barriers to care, but the effects of this have not been studied. This work describes one innovative one-stop center for people experiencing homelessness during its first year of operation. A pragmatic, mixed-methods approach was used to collect information about those receiving services at the center, the types of services received, recipients' level of satisfaction with services, and their subjective experiences of the center. Three sources of data were analyzed: client surveys, semistructured client interviews, and de-identified center records. Findings from this evaluation suggest that the center is helpful to the people served, but also revealed problems that are likely to be common to other one-stop centers. The article concludes with corresponding implications for practice and research.