Shelter service has been a local response to the increasing prevalence of homelessness in North America and Europe. Prior research conducted by this research team using people- and- place theories and methods identified three interrelated factors that affect shelter success: community relationships, the built environment, and the provision of service. The present research sought to explore the implications of these three characteristics by interviewing shelter operators from sixty different shelters across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Findings provide further evidence of the need to consider factors related to community relationships, the built environment, and service delivery to improve the success of the shelter.

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Towards a Common Goal for Shelter Service was published in the Social Development Issues Volume 31, Issue 2 in 2009.