mazihousing

The Person-Centred Approach

At Mazí, we build and maintain communities while nurturing individual growth and personal freedom. 

Homelessness is complex and frustrating; it has many different causes and therefore requires different solutions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Placing people in housing is not an end-game; it does not change the social or political context surrounding them, nor change the tools or keys each person has to navigate this. MazĂ­ offers housing first with person-centred support because, as a combination of support, it works.

Everyone has their own background and their own set of experiences. It is precisely because people are different, face different challenges, and experience homelessness for different reasons, that a multifaceted and person-centred approach is needed. It is the most practical way to support someone meaningfully in a changing and complex environment. So what does it look like?

Radical Empathy, within Boundaries

We work to understand an individual’s experience from their perspective, and to view them as the expert in their own life in control of its direction. It means understanding that each resident: 

  • Is intelligent, capable and skilled – strong in his own way
  • Has the right to make informed choices, because only he must live with the consequences
  • Can and will take responsibility for himself, his living space and his situation
  • Can and will develop towards their full potential, with the right support and environment

Person-Centred 101: how do we do this?

Be Genuine
We are open and clear about our approach. We draw boundaries and we keep to them, while remaining an authentic version of ourselves.
No Judgement
Feelings of judgement create barriers between people. We all may think or feel many things about someone else's decisions or behaviour. For the most part, these are none of our business.
Meet him where he is
Harnessing potential, building, moving forward: these are best done from existing skills and strengths.

Each of us has a different way of communicating, using space, expressing ourselves and solving problems. When people take an accepting approach to these differences, we are more likely to engage with and participate with them. This works both ways.
Be Confidential
We are a vault. The private information of a resident must remain within the organisation; and only with relevant people in the organisation.

There is no trust in the asylum service, or other bureaucratic systems. When a resident knows, and can trust, that we will keep his information confidential he can be more comfortable being open and honest. We get a better picture of who this person is, what he is facing and how he has approached the problem so far. In this way we learn how we can support him best.
Learn and Understand
We all view the world through our own lens. This lens is composed of our past experiences, our present surroundings and our motivations. To understand someone else, we must enter into their world of perceptions, interpretations and perspectives.

The person-centred approach is about empathy. Trying to understand the experience and perspective of the person across from us is about listening and learning their realities.
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Work with the whole person

“We generalise, and we miss that each person is a unique individual, with his or her own personal history, expectations, dreams.” –– Nikos Gionakis, Babel Day Centre

Each of us is growing and changing, grown and changed in the past and will keep growing and changing in the future. The person sitting across from us in the present moment is just a starting point.