Quynh Dang

How can the establishment of privacy, in various scales within domestic setting, mitigate complex PTSD symptoms to improve homeless young mothers’ ability to live in stable housing?

Complex PTSD is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder from experiencing prolonged traumatic event. Homelessness is an ongoing trauma. Young single mothers who enter adulthood without treatment are more vulnerable than others.

During homeless period, complex PTSD is developed through the loss of privacy and personal control. Outstanding symptoms include hyper-vigilant, tendency to misinterpret unfamiliarity as danger and a heightened need of control. Yet, current youth shelter contains physical elements that are stressors of the traumatic past. To tackle this, complex PTSD, for this client group, as my understanding, is best mitigated by focusing on ‘privacy’ through a tier system. The architectural responses are made up from large site studies to small domestic scale like floor material and door details.

The aim is not to ‘cure’. A trauma-informed residential facility that minimises known triggers, combine with treatment could alleviate symptoms and reduce the chance of re-entering homelessness. The project is a transitional accommodation that offers inhouse therapy for 12 young mothers aged 16-22 and children under 5, with 24/7 carers, up to 24 months.