Developing Site Suitability Criteria for An Integrated Support Centre for Homeless Support in Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

The issue of homelessness is still evident in many parts of Kuala Lumpur, particularly in the centre city area where a large number of individuals who rely on public transportation to get around, have limited formal employment options, receive informal forms of assistance with food and other living expenses, and rely heavily on established support systems. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate at the level of macro-sites a set of criteria for locating an Integrated Support Centre (ISC) for homeless support in Kuala Lumpur. For purposes of this study, an ISC is defined as a walk-in, low barrier, non-medical support centre that acts as a "front door" to provide support and linkages to additional resources such as basic support, referrals and more comprehensive service coordination. The initial criteria were based upon a literature review including relevant case examples and exploratory Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. Two GIS maps were produced: a Hot Spot Density Map and a Hot Spot-Service Support Network Map. The proposed criteria were then validated using a survey of experts in the field from government, local authorities, NGOs, academics representing 10 different respondent organizations. Of these criteria, proximity to hotspots, access to public transit, safety and walk-in access were ranked highest. Therefore, this study provides evidence supporting the development of a locally relevant and validated framework for identifying potential sites for the placement of ISCs in order to facilitate increased transparency and relevance when selecting sites in Kuala Lumpur.