Connecting to home in transitional accommodation: Exploring the perspectives of people with mental health issues in Hong Kong

For people with mental health issues (MHIs), the experience of being at home is widely recognised as a universal aspiration. Yet, research on home in the mental health context has largely marginalised the role of transitional accommodation. This paper examines how residents construct the idea of home and how homelike qualities are enacted and sustained in transitional accommodation in Hong Kong, where such services remain the primary response to the (temporary) housing needs of people with MHIs. With the support of a panel of experts with lived experience of MHIs and transitional accommodation, we conducted in-depth interviews using both visual and verbal methods with 60 residents across 16 hostels. Findings revealed that external, relational, and socially connected qualities of home were more likely to be prioritized by residents. Participant accounts also reflected a broad continuum in how transitional accommodation is perceived in relation to home, ranging from full acceptance to firm rejection. Four themes, including safety risk coming from inside, spaces for extending family connection, dimensional interpretations of personal space, and living with a diminished sense of ownership, are discussed, highlighting the influence of personal, socio-cultural, and political contexts in the homemaking process. The paper underscores the need for more culturally and contextually sensitive research on at-homeness and offers insights into improving the design and delivery of transitional accommodation services.