Possibility Lab and Terner Center Release Report on Community Wellbeing in Bay Area Developments that Include Permanent Supportive Housing Units
The Possibility Lab, in partnership with the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, released a new report examining community wellbeing indicators developed with residents of five Bay Area affordable housing developments that include permanent supportive housing (PSH) units. Using the Possibility Lab’s Firsthand Framework for Policy Innovation—which integrates the lived experiences of communities into policy design, implementation, and evaluation—the study engaged more than 100 residents through 10 focus groups and gathered more than 650 Firsthand Indicators of community wellbeing, reflecting a comprehensive and nuanced picture of residents’ experiences.
Key Findings and Contributions:
Six Main Dimensions of Community Wellbeing: Through resident-led focus groups, the team identified more than 40 themes related to wellbeing, organized into six overarching dimensions:
Staff and Management
Community
Physical Environment
Safety and Security
Resident Services
Individual Experiences
Actionable Insights: The findings provide a model for policymakers, developers, and others who want to assess and improve community wellbeing from residents’ perspectives.
A Resident-Centered Survey Tool: The project developed a survey tool based on Firsthand Indicator data that enables evaluation and tracking progress towards fostering healthy, thriving communities.
Co-Creation for Lasting Change: The methodology challenges traditional approaches to measurement by ensuring residents’ voices drive solutions, empowering them to help shape policies that address their unique needs and priorities.
“Affordable housing is more than just buildings—it’s home to residents whose experiences and ideas can help to create more vibrant communities,” said Naomi Levy, Director of Community-Engaged Research at the Possibility Lab and Professor of Political Science at Santa Clara University. “This report offers actionable insights and tools to help developers and staff create housing solutions that truly support residents’ wellbeing. This is especially important for anyone seeking to create thriving communities that include people who have experienced homelessness.”
The Possibility Lab’s work highlights the multidimensional and interconnected factors that shape residents’ wellbeing in affordable housing, emphasizing the need for innovative, data-driven approaches to community development. By involving residents as co-creators, the Firsthand Framework sets a new standard for inclusive and effective policymaking. This innovative Framework has also been used to explore public safety in Oakland and worker health in California’s Inland Empire.
“Learning about residents’ experiences and understanding what they prioritize for wellbeing made it clear that policies to expand PSH need to also focus on investing in resident and supportive services,” said Carolina Reid, Faculty Research Advisor at the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley. “The indicators make it clear that having committed and well-trained staff on-site makes a real difference in resident wellbeing.”