Context matters: Exploring the mediated nature of digital service provision within homelessness organizations

Abstract

A wide body of research has demonstrated the importance of mobile media in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. However, there is a need to understand digital access, uses, and needs within wider organizational and technological contexts. Informed by a social construction of technology theoretical perspective, this article explores how different homelessness organizations in England appropriate technology within their support services. Drawing on findings from three case studies, it demonstrates how provision is shaped by interpretive, cultural, and material factors that operate to facilitate or inhibit use. Given the significance of technology within the lives of people experiencing homelessness, this article highlights the need for practitioners and policy makers to prioritize and examine the nature and impact of digital service provision and to ensure that its design and delivery reflects the needs of users.