How to model social innovation in the field of homelessness?

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to bring forward patterns and links between social innovations that are active in the fight against homelessness. Homelessness in general is a growing phenomenon, and classic responses do not seem to be sufficient. The innovativeness of the projects is therefore defined in this study as the dissimilarity of approach to these classic responses. By analysing twenty-four existing social innovation projects and the promise of the impact they are creating, this dissertation aims to create a better understanding of how social innovation takes place in this specific field and to write recommendations for the actors that are present in it such as researchers, entrepreneurs and governments. The methodology used, relies on social performance analysis and more specifically on the change theory model. The participating projects were identified through online search engines, online platforms that regroup Belgian non-profits and the “Housing Solutions Platform” and selected by their innovativeness and diversity. Afterwards, they were examined through the optic of the change theory model. Then, comparisons within segments of that model and new models linking elements of different of those segments were constructed. Of course, at the beginning of the dissertation a literature review on homelessness, social innovation and social performance analysis was executed to create a background on these topics and allow for a better understanding of the analysed projects and used methods. This explorative study resulted in interesting observations about social innovations in the field of homelessness, opened up questions about them that could be the basis of future quantitative research or qualitative interviews with such projects, and formulated recommendations and conclusions for researchers, for entrepreneurs, for aspiring entrepreneurs and for governments.