Ending up in a happy place: a collaborative autoethnographic account of homelessness

Purpose This paper merges two different perspectives of homelessness: that of a formerly homeless person and an assistant psychologist working in the field of homelessness. With the lived experience narrative as its backbone, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate Andrew’s experience of homelessness in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the UK and allow for reflections and commentary relating to the homelessness landscape of today. Design/methodology/approach The authors use collaborative autoethnography to tell Andrew’s story, woven in with social commentary from himself and Lydia. Findings In between inpatient mental health stays in the 1980s and 1990s, Andrew spent many years homeless. The paper tells his remarkable story of survival. It finds that in some ways, elements of Andrew’s experience echo that of the homeless population of today; however, there are parts of his story – in particular, the delusions he suffered – which are undeniably unique. The paper also finds the wider political landscape to be more favourable nowadays, than when Andrew was homeless several decades ago. Research limitations/implications There is only one participant sharing his experience; thus, generalisability is limited. Practical implications This paper details what happened to Andrew and how he got to his happy place. This story and its links to homeless experience today could be used to inform homelessness or mental health services – helping others find their happy place too. Originality/value Binding together diverse perspectives (worker vs lived experience) and different time periods (now vs late 1980s), the authors are able to explore the concept of homelessness in a unique way, which benefits understanding.