Kyler Woodmass, MPIA
Associate Research Coordinator, KHRC
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in the Central Okanagan. I completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology locally at UBC Okanagan before pursuing a Masters of Public and International Affairs at York University in Toronto. I then returned to Kelowna, accepting a position with the Canadian Red Cross’ Volunteer Experience and Engagement team before transitioning to the Kelowna Homelessness Research Collaborative. I have held a number of paid and volunteer positions throughout the local support sector, in shelters, employment services, crisis lines, and food production. My early research spanned topics related to child welfare, cultural adaptations, gender and racial representation, and organizational change, mostly through my involvement with the Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families. I currently hold the position of Associate Research Coordinator for the KHRC, supporting a variety of projects in and around homelessness as well as their associated Co-Investigators, students, and staff.
What inspired you to study topics related to homelessness and the broader support sector?
During my undergraduate degree, I was given an early opportunity to engage in research through the Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families. I was also able to volunteer for the local Crisis Line, providing me with a rapid snapshot of local challenges and resources. Further volunteering in local shelters and paid work in employment services solidified my interest in supporting vulnerable members within our communities. I am specifically interested in how academia can play a role in inquiry and analysis that is complementary to the insights of service providers as well as the lived experience of service users, and how we might produce topical knowledge outputs that support and inform diverse audiences. My priorities fully align with our vision to inform the sector in a way that is consistent with our values, particularly in terms of promoting equity through collaborative and cumulative engagement.
What are some of your active research activities / interests?
My recent and ongoing work has focused on informing the planning and implementation of supports for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This has included our recent literature reviews into topics related to COVID and pandemic diseases, as well as our service provider inquiry into the local COVID response (see our Publications page). I am also interested in advancing and connecting knowledge on parallel topics of staff supports, poverty, food security, and housing supply. My activities have a strong emphasis on promoting open access data and analysis reports, which are available on our Community Reports and Summaries page. I also manage our website, our social media accounts (Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Instagram), and our Research Blog, each of which can be used to get more information on the overall activities of our members as well as emerging trends and analysis of potential relevance to this topic area.
What are some of your goals for your work in this topic area?
I have always been interested with the intersection of knowledge dissemination and community action. I hope that we’re able to produce knowledge that: 1) builds on existing expertise and data, 2) is available to all, and 3) informs the supports the needs of our communities. In this way, we can hopefully play our own part in fostering equity and opportunity for all. As we enter a new year, I look forward to strengthening our partnerships and engagements as we explore ways of actualizing a “Recovery for All” and as we progress through the Journey Home Strategy.
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