Current Research

Health and social welfare institutionalization, urbanization and homelessness in Nuuk, Greenland (funded by Det Frie Forskningsråd – Danish Research Council) – with collaborator, Dr. Steven Arnfjord, University of Greenland

The principal aim of this research project is to understand the dynamics of social welfare institutionalization in Arctic urbanization and homelessness in Nuuk, Greenland. From this central aim stem five main research objectives: 1) to compare and contrast the roles of social and health factors and their interactions with social welfare institutions in the rural-urban relocation and homelessness of Indigenous peoples in Nuuk; 2) to examine the historical and contemporary experiences of colonialism and modernization, as well as the development of social welfare structures and institutions in Greenland; 3) to investigate the context-dependent ways in which social welfare policy interacts with housing policy in the rural-urban pathways to homelessness of research participants; 4) to explore the ways in which northern Indigenous homeless peoples’ acts of “home-journeying” (Mallett 2004) demonstrate resilience in their interactions with social welfare institutions; and 5) to advance a theorization of the role of social welfare institutionalization in Arctic urbanization.

Non-renewable resource development, homelessness and the potential for community-based housing governance and policy in the Northwest Territories, Canada (funded by SSHRC as part of the Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic project) – with co-investigator Dr. Lisa Freeman, Kwantlen University and community partner, Alternatives North

The purpose of this research is threefold: 1) to explore the current housing policy landscape in the Northwest Territories as it pertains to the provision of public and subsidized housing, including supportive/transitional housing programs, in the city of Yellowknife; 2) to analyze the impacts that non-renewable resource development has had on affordable, private housing in the NWT; and 3) to explore various innovations and potential to mitigate negative impacts, including self-government engagement in housing policy and programs, policy collaborations between northern communities, governments and industry, and local housing innovations such as community-led initiatives. As part of our research communication plan, we are working with a social justice and community-engaged graphic designer, Una Lee (from And Also Too agency), to develop the accessible and user-friendly materials for our community partner as well as other community-based organizations.