Principle 2:
Low-Barrier and Equitable Access

This part continues Principle 2, covering how low-barrier systems sustain trust and engagement over time. Each tab below explores one dimension in depth — read through all four to continue.

7.DEVELOPMENT OF TRUSTING AND RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

8.CONTINUITY OF CARE AS SUSTAINED ACCESSIBILITY

9.ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS IDENTIFIED IN LITERATURE

6. Wrap-Around and Client-Centred Services

Accessibility is inseparable from comprehensiveness. People experiencing homelessness often require:

Medical care

Mental health services

Substance use support

Housing assistance

Benefits navigation

Legal support

Low-barrier systems provide wrap-around services, meaning coordinated, client-centred support addressing medical, behavioural, and social needs. Client-centred care means:

Care plans are co-created

Preferences are respected

Communication is clear and predictable

Cultural humility is practiced

Accessibility without person-centred design is insufficient.

7. Development of Trusting and Respectful Relationships

Accessibility is not only logistical — it is relational. Many individuals experiencing homelessness avoid services due to:

Stigma

Discrimination

Prior institutional trauma

Shame

Psychological accessibility requires:

Trauma-informed communication

Respectful tone

Transparency

Predictability

Consistency

Non-judgmental engagement

Trust is a prerequisite for sustained engagement. Meeting people where they are relationally means recognising their level of trust — and building from there.

8. Continuity of Care as Sustained Accessibility

Access does not end at first contact. Continuity is a structural form of accessibility.

It includes:

Follow-up after hospital discharge

Appointment reminders

Case manager coordination

Outreach after missed visits

Integrated health records

Clear care pathways

Cross-sector communication

Discontinuity disproportionately affects individuals with unstable housing. Trauma-informed integrated systems interpret disengagement as instability — not non-compliance.

Continuity transforms episodic care into stabilising care.

9. Additional Dimensions Identified in Literature

Broader integrated care literature also highlights:

Administrative simplification

Data sharing agreements across sectors

Interdisciplinary communication

Cultural and linguistic accessibility

Digital inclusion strategies

Peer navigators and community health workers

Structural advocacy to address systemic exclusion

Accessibility is therefore not a single intervention, but a systemic design principle.

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