Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Date of Award

Winter 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science and Health

First Advisor

Molly Brown

Abstract

Coordinated Entry (CE) systems aim to address homelessness by allocating resources based on need and prioritizing the most vulnerable individuals. However, system success depends on appropriately matching people to housing. This study examined person-environment fit (P-E fit) and associated housing outcomes for single adults matched to permanent supportive housing through King County, Washington's CE for All system, with intersectionality as a secondary lens. This was a secondary analysis using Qualitative Content Analysis of interview and focus group transcripts from tenants (n = 18), staff (n = 27), and policy leaders (n = 11). Five dimensions of fit emerged as consequential for housing outcomes: service environment, housing rules, building and amenities, social environment, and location. Tenant housing outcomes were referral acceptance or rejection, housing stability, and reactions to placements. Mismatches were more commonly reported than instances of good fit across dimensions. Several systemic-and individual-level factors were found to influence fit and housing outcomes, with housing scarcity, CE process challenges, and tenant sense of urgency emerging as particularly salient across multiple dimensions of fit. Tenant social identities intersected with systemic forces to influence fit and outcomes, with some CE processes reinforcing existing inequities. The five-dimensional typology offers a preliminary framework for evaluating tenant-housing compatibility, with substantial convergence with extant literature. As the first study to apply P-E fit theory within a CE context, these findings suggest that CE systems may benefit from expanding their design beyond resource allocation to incorporate match compatibility as a core principle from which assessment, matching, referral, and stabilization processes are operationalized. Toward this end, this study offers future research directions, policy considerations, and practice-level recommendations to strengthen tenant-housing compatibility, improve housing outcomes, and advance equity across CE systems.

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