Homelessness is the condition and societal category of people who lack housing and food, usually because they cannot afford a regular, safe, and adequate shelter. The term "homelessness" may also include people whose primary nighttime residence is in a homeless shelter, in an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people ^[1][2] A small number of people choose to be homeless nomads, such as some Romani people (Gypsies) and members of some subcultures. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins ^[3] An estimated 100 million people worldwide are homeless. ^[4]

Contents 1 Meaning 2 Other names for Homelessness 2.1 The word "homeless" in different cultures 3 Voluntary homelessness 4 Assistance and resources available to the homeless 4.1 Refuges for the homeless 5 Health care for the homeless 6 International Law and Homelessness 6.1 Income sources 7 Main causes of homelessness 8 Pre-disposing factors to homelessness 9 Homelessness in specific countries 9.1 Statistics for developed countries 9.2 Developing and undeveloped countries 10 History of homelessness 11 Violent crimes against the homeless 12 Voting Rights 13 Tracking the homeless 14 Homelessness in the popular media 15 See also 15.1 Other itinerant or homeless people or terms for this condition 15.2 Socioeconomic issues or aspects of homeless life 15.3 Miscellaneous homelessness-related articles 16 References 17 Bibliography 18 Further reading 19 External links 19.1 Resources

Meaning

The term "homelessness" may also include people whose primary nighttime residence is in a homeless shelter, in an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people ^[5][6] A small number of people choose to be homeless nomads, such as some Romani people (Gypsies) and members of some subcultures. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins ^[7] An estimated 100 million people worldwide are homeless. ^[8]

Other names for Homelessness

The term used to describe homeless people in academic articles and government reports is "homeless people". Popular slang terms, some of which are considered derogatory, include: vagrant, tramp, hobo (U. See also Vagrancy (biology for an alternative use of the term Hobo is a term that refers to a Subculture of wandering Homeless people particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. S. ), transient, bum (U. S. ), bagman/bagwoman, urban outdoorsmen ^[9], or the wandering poor. The term '(of) No Fixed Abode' (NFA) is used in legal circumstances. Sometimes the term “houseless” is used to reflect a more accurate condition in some cases. ^[10][11]

The word "homeless" in different cultures

In different languages, the term for homelessness reveals the cultural and societal perception and classification of a homeless person:^[12]

• Afrikaans: "haweloos" (homeless)
• Albanian: "i pastrehë" (homeless)
• Arabic: مشرد, بلا مأوى (homeless, beggar)
• Aragones: sin teito ; sin fogar (without a roof; without a home)
• Basque: "kale gorrian bizi den(a)" ; "kalegorritar" (street dweller, homeless)
• Chinese: 无家的 ; 无家可归的 (Non-family; Homeless)
• Croatian: "beskućnik" (homeless),
• Czech: "bezdomovec" (homeless),
• Danish: "hjemløs" (homeless),
• Dutch: "zwerver" (wanderer), "dakloze" (roofless)
• English (Britain): "rough sleeper" (person who sleeps "in the rough" i. e. outdoors)
• Finnish: hemlösa, kodittomat (homeless), ^[13]
• French: France "sans domicile fixe" (SDF, without a fixed domicile), Quebec "sans-abri" (without shelter)
• German: "obdachlos" (without a shelter)
• Greek: "άστεγος" (astegos) (without a roof/home)
• Hebrew: "Chasraei Biyet" (Lacking a house)
• Hindi: "बेघर" Be-ghar (Without home)
• Hungarian: "Hajléktalan" (Without house)
• Icelandic: heimilislaus ; útigangsmaður
• Italian: "senzatetto" (without a roof)
• Japan : "ホームレス": "Hōmuresu" (a phonetical approximation of 'homeless'), 乞食 "kojiki"　(a beggar), 浮浪者 "furōsha" (a transient) or 不労者 "furōsha"　('one-that-does-not-work'), ルンペン "rumpen" (derived from German word Lumpenproletariat)
• Korean: "노숙자" (person who sleeps outside), "거지" (extremely poor)
• Latvia: "bezpajumtnieks" (without a shelter) or "bomzis" (slang loanword from Russian "бомж")
• Lithuania: „Benamis”(without a shelter) or „bomžas” (slang loanword from Russian "бомж" kuciukst)
• Norwegian: "uteligger" (sleeping outside)
• Persian: "بی خانمان" Bi-khaneman (without home)
• Polish, Russian, Slovene: "bezdomny", "бездомный", or in more frequent use, "бомж", standing for without fixed place of living (без определенного места жительства), "brezdomec" respectively (without a house)
• Portuguese: "desabrigado" or "sem-abrigo" (without a shelter) or "sem-tecto" (without a roof), or "sem-teto" ^[14]
• Romanian: "fara adapost" (without a shelter)
• Spanish: "persona sin hogar" (person without a home), "pordiosero" (person who begs saying "Por Dios" ("For God's sake")), "sin techo" or "sintecho" (person without roof above), "desamparado" (helpless, unprotected, abandoned, deserted), "vagabundo" (vagabond, vagrant), indigente (indigent). Lumpenproletariat (a German word meaning "raggedy proletariat" is a term first defined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in
• Swedish: "uteliggare" (someone lying outside), "hemlös" (homeless), "lodis"/"lodare", "luffare".
• Turkish: "evsiz" (homeless, rootless)
• Urdu: "بے گھر" Be-ghar(Without home)
• Vietnamese: "không cửa không nhà, vô gia cư" (dispossessed, roofless, stateless, homeless)

Voluntary homelessness

A small number of homeless people choose to be homeless, living as nomads. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that "Nomadism has been a way of life in many cultures for thousands of years" either due to the ". . . seasonal availability of plants and animals" or an "ability to trade. " A 2001 study on homelessness issues in Europe noted that "Urban transience [e. g. , homelessness] is different from nomadism/rootlessness or traveling . . . " in that nomads and Gypsy travellers in caravans have "planned mobility" rather than forced mobility. ^[15]

In Britain, most nomadic people are Roma (or Gypsy) people, Irish travellers, Kalé from North Wales, and Scottish travellers. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Many of these people ". . . continue to maintain a semi-nomadic lifestyle and live in caravans"; however, "others have chosen to settle more permanently in houses. A travel trailer or caravan is a trailer towed behind a road Vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a "^[16]Some European countries have developed policies that acknowledge the unique nomadic (or "travelling") life of Gypsy people;^[17][18] Similar work has also been done by the Australian government, regarding the subgroup of Aborigine people who are nomadic. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. In large Japanese cities such as Tokyo, the "many manifestations of urban nomadism" include day laborers and subculture groups.

Assistance and resources available to the homeless

Refuges for the homeless

There are many places where a homeless person might seek refuge.

• Outdoors: On the ground or in a sleeping bag, tent, or improvised shelter, such as a large cardboard box, in a park or vacant lot. A sleeping bag is a protective "bag" for a person to Sleep in essentially a Blanket that can be closed with a zipper or similar means and functions as A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope
• Hobo jungles/Shantytowns: Ad hoc campsites of improvised shelters and shacks, usually near rail yards, interstates and high transportation veins. Hobo is a term that refers to a Subculture of wandering Homeless people particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. Shanty towns (also called Squatter camps or Favelas are settlements (sometimes illegal or unauthorized of impoverished people who live in improvised A shack is a type of small House that is in disrepair The word may derive from the Nahuatl (Aztec word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of Railroad tracks for storing sorting or loading/unloading Railroad cars and/or Locomotives The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System)
• Derelict structures: abandoned or condemned houses or buildings, abandoned cars, and beached boats, generally referred to as squatting. Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use
• Vehicles: cars or trucks are used as a temporary or sometimes long-term living refuge, for example by those recently evicted from a home. Some people live in vans, sport utility vehicles, covered pick-up trucks, station wagons, sedans, or hatchbacks. A van is a kind of vehicle used for Transporting goods or groups of people A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis A pickup truck is a light Motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single
• Public places: parks, bus or train stations, airports, public transportation vehicles (by continual riding where unlimited passes are available), hospital lobbies or waiting areas, college campuses, and 24-hour businesses such as coffee shops. A park is a protected area of Land and Water, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped state and set aside for some purpose often to do with human |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. Many public places use security guards or police to prevent people from loitering or sleeping at these locations for a variety of reasons, including image, safety, and comfort.
• Homelessness or emergency shelters such as Najidah and Raphael House
• City run homeless shelters such as emergency cold-weather shelters opened by churches or community agencies, which may consist of cots in a heated warehouse, or temporary Christmas Shelters. Najidah (Australia Najidah is a nonprofit secular organisation dedicated to reducing societal tolerance of abuse and the development of safer communities Raphael House is an innovative shelter in the Tenderloin San Francisco California which provides transitional housing and support programs for Parents Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people
• Inexpensive Boarding houses called flophouses offer cheap, low-quality temporary lodging. A boarding house, also known as a "rooming house" (mainly in the United States) or a "lodging house" is a House (often a family home A flophouse (English doss-house or dosshouse) is a place that offers very cheap Lodging, generally by providing only
• Residential hotels, where a bed as opposed to an entire room can be rented cheaply in a dorm-like environment. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis
• Inexpensive motels also offer cheap, low-quality temporary lodging. Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, a Portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel, referred However, some who can afford housing live in a motel by choice. For example, David and Jean Davidson spent 22 years at a UK Travelodge. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Travelodge refers to several hotel chains around the world Current operations include United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and ^[19]
• 24-hour Internet cafes are now used by over 5,000 Japanese "Net cafe refugees". An estimated 75% of Japan's 3,200 all-night internet cafes cater to regular overnight guests, who in some cases have become their main source of income. ^[20]
• Friends or family: Temporarily sleeping in dwellings of friends or family members ("couch surfing"). Couch surfers may be harder to recognize than street homeless people^[21]
• Underground tunnels such as abandoned subway, maintenance, or train tunnels are popular among the permanent homeless. ^{[22] [23]} The inhabitants of such refuges are called in some places, like New York City, "Mole People". Natural caves beneath urban centers allow for places where the homeless can congregate. Leaking water pipes, electric wires, and steam pipes allow for normal living. Some abandoned subway stations are known to have grand pianos, water fountains, and frescoed walls.

Health care for the homeless

Health care for the homeless is a major public health challenge. ^{[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]}

Homeless people are more likely to suffer injuries and medical problems from their lifestyle on the street, which includes poor nutrition, substance abuse, exposure to the severe elements of weather, and a higher exposure to violence (robberies, beatings, and so on). Yet at the same time, they have little access to public medical services or clinics, in many cases because they lack health insurance: "Each year, millions of people in the United States experience homelessness and are in desperate need of health care services. Most do not have health insurance of any sort, and none have cash to pay for medical care. " ^{[33] [34]}

Homeless persons often find it difficult to document their date of birth or their address. Because homeless people usually have no place to store possessions, they often lose their belongings, including their identification and other documents, or find them destroyed by police or others. Without a photo ID, homeless persons cannot get a job or access many social services. They can be denied access to even the most basic assistance: clothing closets, food pantries, certain public benefits, and in some cases, emergency shelters.

Obtaining replacement identification is difficult. Without an address, birth certificates cannot be mailed. Fees may be cost-prohibitive for impoverished persons. And some states will not issue birth certificates unless the person has photo identification, creating a Catch-22. ^[35]

This problem is far less acute in countries which provide free-at-use health care, such as the UK, where hospitals are open-access day and night, and make no charges for treatment. In the US, free-care clinics, especially for the homeless do exist in major cities, but they are usually over-burdened with patients. ^[36]

The conditions affecting the homeless are somewhat specialized and have opened a new area of medicine tailored to this population. Skin conditions and diseases abound, because homeless people are exposed to extreme cold in the winter and they have little access to bathing facilities. Homeless people also have more severe dental problems than the general population. ^[37] Specialized medical textbooks have been written to address this for providers. ^[38]

There are many organizations providing free care to the homeless in countries which do not offer free medical treatment organised by the state, but the services are in great demand given the limited number of medical practitioners. For example, it might take months to get a minimal dental appointment in a free-care clinic. Communicable diseases are of great concern, especially tuberculosis, which spreads more easily in crowded homeless shelters in high density urban settings. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common

International Law and Homelessness

Since the publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Charter of the United Nations -- UN) in 1948, the public perception has been increasingly changing to a focus on the human right of housing, travel and migration as a part of individual self-determination rather than the human condition. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly ( 10 December 1948 at Palais A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics The Declaration, an international law reinforcement of the Nuremberg Trial Judgements, upholds the rights of one nation to intervene in the affairs of another if said nation is abusing its citizens, and rose out of a 1939-1945 World War II Atlantic environment of extreme split between "haves" and "have nots. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after " The modern study of homeless phenomena is most frequently seen in this historical context.

Income sources

Many non-profit organizations such as Goodwill Industries maintain a mission to "provide skill development and work opportunities to people with barriers to employment", though most of these organizations are not primarily geared toward homeless individuals. Goodwill Industries International is one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of education training and career services for people with disadvantages such as welfare dependency Many cities also have street newspapers or magazines: publications designed to provide employment opportunity to homeless people or others in need by street sale. Street newspapers are Newspapers that provide employment opportunities community and a voice to homeless and other economically vulnerable people

While some homeless have paying jobs, some must seek other methods to make money. Begging or panhandling is one option, but is becoming increasingly illegal in many cities. "Beggar" redirects here Distinguish from Begga and Bega. "Beggar" redirects here Distinguish from Begga and Bega. Despite the stereotype, not all homeless people panhandle, and not all panhandlers are homeless. Another option is busking: performing tricks, playing music, drawing on the sidewalk, or offering some other form of entertainment in exchange for donations. Busking is the practice of performing in Public places for Tips and Gratuities. In cities where plasmapheresis centers still exist, homeless people may generate income through frequent visits to these centers. Plasmapheresis (from the Greek plasma, something molded and apheresis, taking away is the removal treatment and return of (components of Blood

Homeless people have been known to commit crimes just to be sent to jail or prison for food and shelter. Jail, or gaol (especially in Canada, Australia and NZ[http //www A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of In police slang, this is called "three hots and a cot" referring to the three hot daily meals and a cot to sleep on given to prisoners. Similarly a homeless person may approach a hospital's emergency department and fake physical or mental illness in order to receive food and shelter.

Main causes of homelessness

The major reasons and causes for homelessness as documented by many reports and studies include:^[39][40][41]

• Lack of affordable housing
• Substance abuse and lack of needed services
• Mental illness and lack of needed services
• Domestic violence
• Poverty, caused by many factors
• Prison release and re-entry into society
• Lack of affordable healthcare
• Natural disaster

The high cost of housing is a by-product of the general distribution of wealth and income. The rate of homelessness has also been impacted by the reduction of household size witnessed in the last half of the 20th century.

Individuals who are incapable of maintaining employment and managing their lives effectively due to prolonged and severe drug and/or alcohol abuse make up a substantial percentage of the U. S. homeless population. ^[42] The link between substance abuse and homelessness is partially caused by the fact that the behavioral patterns associated with addiction can alienate an addicted individual's family and friends who could otherwise provide a safety net against homelessness during difficult economic times.

Increased wealth and income inequality have caused distortions in the housing market that push rent burdens higher, thereby decreasing the availability of affordable housing.

There is an initiative in the United States to help the homeless get re-integrated into society, and out of homeless shelters, called "Housing First". Housing First is a relatively recent innovation in human service programs and Social policy regarding treatment of the Homeless. It was initiated by the federal government's Interagency Council on Homelessness. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness is a USA federal program and office created by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 (Stewart B It asks cities to come up with a plan to end chronic homelessness. In this direction, there is the belief that if homeless people are given independent housing to start off with, with some proper social supports, then there would be no need for emergency homeless shelters, which it considers a good outcome. This is a very controversial position. ^[43]

In Boston, Massachusetts, in September 2007, an outreach to the homeless was initiated in the Boston Common, after some arrests and shootings, and in anticipation of the cold winter ahead. Boston Common is a central Public park in Boston, Massachusetts. This outreach targets homeless people who would normally spend their sleeping time on the Boston Common, and tries to get them into housing, trying to skip the step of an emergency shelter. Applications for Boston Housing Authority were being handed out and filled out and submitted. This is an attempt to enact by outreach the Housing First initiative, federally mandated. Boston's Mayor, Thomas Menino, was quoted as saying "The solution to homelessness is permanent housing". Thomas Michael Menino (born December 27, 1942) is the mayor of Boston Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Still, this is a very controversial strategy, especially if the people are not able to sustain a house with proper community, health, substance counseling, and mental health supportive programs. ^[44]

In Australia, there is a legislation: Supported Accommodation Assistance Program Act 1994 (SAAP) which is a joint Commonwealth state program which provides funding for more than 1,200 organizations which are aimed to assist homeless people or those in danger of becoming homeless, as well as women and children escaping domestic violence. They provide accommodation such as refuges, shelters and half-way houses, and offer a range of supported services. The Commonwealth has assigned over $800 million between 2000-2005 for the continuation of SAAP. The current program, governed by the Supported Assistance Act 1994, specifies that “the overall aim of SAAP is to provide transitional supported accommodation and related support services, in order to help people who are homeless to achieve the maximum possible degree of self-reliance and independence. This legislation has been established to help the homeless people of the nation and help rebuild the lives of those in need, the joining of the states also helps enhance the meaning of the legislation and demonstrates the collboration of the states and their desire to improve the nation as best they can .

Pre-disposing factors to homelessness

Most researchers attempt to make a distinction between: 1) why homelessness exists, in general, and 2) who is at-risk of homelessness, in specific. Homelessness has always existed since urbanization and industrialization.

Factors placing an individual at high-risk of homelessness include:

• Poverty: People living in poverty are at a higher risk of becoming homeless.
• Drug or alcohol addiction: It is common for homeless to suffer from a substance abuse problem. Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a Psychoactive drug or Performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions The term " addiction " is used in many contexts to describe an obsession compulsion or excessive Physical dependence or psychological dependence such as Debate exists about whether drug use is a cause or consequence of homelessness. Drugs can be used in many different ways as detailed below Medication See also Medication People can use drugs to relieve pain or discomfort or to cure However, regardless when it arises, an untreated addiction "makes moving beyond homelessness extremely difficult. "^[42] Substance abuse is quite prevalent in the homeless population. ^[45]
• Serious Mental Illness and Disability: It has been estimated that approximately one-third of all adult homeless persons have some form of mental illness and/or disability. Mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as In previous eras, these individuals were institutionalized in state mental hospitals. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), there were 50,000 mentally ill homeless people in California alone because of deinstitutionalization between 1957 and 1988 and a lack of adequate local service systems. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (aka NAMI) founded in 1979 as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, is a nation-wide American ^[46] Various assertive outreach approaches, including a mental health treatment approach known as Assertive Community Treatment and the Path Program, have shown promise in the prevention of homelessness among people with serious mental illness. Assertive community treatment, or ACT, is a highly intensive and integrated approach for community mental health service delivery Created under the McKinney-Vento Act, The PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Program is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States District of Columbia ^[47][48][49]
• Foster Care background: This population experienced rates of homelessness nearly 8 times higher than the non-foster care population.
• Escaping domestic abuse, including sexual, physical and mental abuse: Victims who flee from abuse often find themselves without a home. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate Abused children also have a higher chance of succumbing to a drug addiction, which contributes to difficulties in establishing a residence. ^[50] In 1990 a study found that half of homeless women and children were fleeing abuse. ^[51]
• Prison discharge: Often the formerly incarcerated are socially isolated from friends and family and have few resources. Employment is often difficult for those with a criminal record. Untreated substance abuse and mental illness also may put them at high risk for homelessness once discharged. ^[52]
• Civilian during war: Civilians during war or any armed conflict are also are at a higher risk for homelessness, because of possible military attacks on their property, and even after the war rebuilding their homes is often costly, and most commonly the government is overthrown or defeated which is then unable to help its citizens. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units ^[53]

Homelessness in specific countries

Main articles: Homelessness in the United States, Homelessness in Canada, Homelessness in Australia, and Homelessness in the United Kingdom

Statistics for developed countries

In 2005, an estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless. Overview Observers of modern Homelessness often cite some of the following potential causes of homelessness The movement in the 1950s in state Mental health Homelessness in Canada continues to be a serious issue particularly in major urban centres such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. This article describes Homelessness in Australia. The majority of long term homeless people are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne and ^[54]

The following statistics indicate the approximate average number of homeless people at any one time. Each country has a different approach to counting homeless people, and estimates of homelessness made by different organizations vary wildly, so comparisons should be made with caution.

European Union: 3,000,000 (UN-HABITAT 2004)

United Kingdom: 10,459 rough sleepers, 98,750 households in temporary accommodation (Department for Communities and Local Government 2005)

Canada: 150,000 (National Homelessness Initiative - Government of Canada)^[55]

Australia: 99,000 (ABS: 2001 Census)^[56]

United States: Chronically homeless people (those with repeated episodes or who have been homeless for long periods) 847,000-3,470,000^[57]. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United Nations Human Settlements Programme ( UN&ndashHABITAT) is the United Nations agency for human settlements The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian Bureau of Statistics ( ABS) is Australia 's national statistical agency. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Japan: 20,000-100,000 (some figures put it at 200,000-400,000)^[58] Reports show that homelessness is on the rise in Japan since the mid-1990s. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[59]

Developing and undeveloped countries

The number of homeless people worldwide has grown steadily in recent years. In some Third World nations such as India, Nigeria, and South Africa, homelessness is rampant, with millions of children living and working on the streets. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Homelessness has become a problem in the countries of China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines despite their growing prosperity, mainly due to migrant workers who have trouble finding permanent homes and to rising income inequality between social classes. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

History of homelessness

In the sixteenth century in England, the state first tried to give housing to vagrants instead of punishing them, by introducing bridewells to take vagrants and train them for a profession. Bridewell Palace, London, originally a residence of Henry VIII, later became a poorhouse and prison In the eighteenth century, these were replaced by workhouses but these were intended to discourage too much reliance on state help. These were later replaced by dormitory housing ("spikes") provided by local boroughs, and these were researched by the writer George Orwell. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer By the 1930s in England, there were 30,000 people living in these facilities. In the 1960s, the nature and growing problem of homelessness changed for the worse in England, with public concern growing. The number of people living "rough" in the streets had increased dramatically. However, beginning with the Conservative administration's Rough Sleeper Initiative, the number of people sleeping rough in London fell dramatically. This initiative was supported further by the incoming Labour administration from 1997 onwards with the publication of the 'Coming in from the Cold' strategy published by the Rough Sleepers Unit, which proposed and delivered a massive increase in the number of hostel bed spaces in the capital and an increase in funding for street outreach teams, who work with rough sleepers to enable them to access services.

In general, in most countries, many towns and cities had an area which contained the poor, transients, and afflicted, such as a "skid row". A skid row or skid road is a run-down or dilapidated urban area with a large population of impoverished abusers of Alcohol and often other Drugs In New York City, for example, there was an area known as "the Bowery", traditionally, where alcoholics were to be found sleeping on the streets, bottle in hand. Bowery (ˈbaʊɚi or /ˈbaʊri/ is the name of a street and a small neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions This resulted in rescue missions, such as the oldest homeless shelter in New York City, The Bowery Mission, founded in 1879 by the Rev. and Mrs. A. G. Ruliffson. ^[60]

In smaller towns, there were hobos, who temporarily lived near train tracks and hopped onto trains to various destinations. Hobo is a term that refers to a Subculture of wandering Homeless people particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. Especially following the American Civil War, a large number of homeless men formed part of a counterculture known as "hobohemia" all over America. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South ^[61]

Although not specifically about the homeless, Jacob Riis wrote about, documented, and photographed the poor and destitute in New York City tenements in the late 1800s. Jacob August Riis (May 3 1849 - May 26 1914 a Danish -American Muckraker Journalist, Photographer, and social reformer was born in He wrote a ground-breaking book including such material in "How the Other Half Lives" in 1890, which inspired Jack London's The People of the Abyss (1903). How the Other Half Lives Studies Among the Tenements of New York (1890 was a pioneering work of Photojournalism by Jacob Riis, documenting the squalid Jack London (January 12 1876 &ndash November 22 1916 was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The The People of the Abyss (1903 is a book by Jack London about life in the East End of London in 1902 This raised public awareness, causing some changes in building codes and some social conditions.

However, modern homelessness as we know it, started as a result of the economic stresses in society, reduction in the availability of affordable housing, such as single room occupancies (SROs), for poorer people. The expression " single room occupancy " or more commonly "SRO" refers to a building that houses people in single rooms In the United States, in the late 1970s, the deinstitutionalisation of patients from state psychiatric hospitals was a precipitating factor which seeded the homeless population, especially in urban areas such as New York City. Deinstitutionalisation (from de-institution-alisation is the process of replacing long-stay mental institutions with less isolated Community mental health services ^[62]

The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 was a pre-disposing factor in setting the stage for homelessness in the United States. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 (CMHA (also known as the Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act Public Law 88-164 or the Mental Retardation and Community Mental Health ^[63] Long term psychiatric patients were released from state hospitals into SROs and sent to community health centers for treatment and follow-up. It never quite worked out properly and this population largely was found living in the streets soon thereafter with no sustainable support system. ^[64][65]

Also, as real estate prices and neighborhood pressure increased to move these people out of their areas, the SROs diminished in number, putting most of their residents in the streets.

Other populations were mixed in later, such as people losing their homes for economic reasons, and those with addictions, the elderly, and others.

Many places where people were once allowed freely to loiter, or purposefully be present, such as churches, public libraries and public atriums, became stricter as the homeless population grew larger and congregated in these places more than ever. As a result, many churches closed their doors when services were not being held, libraries enforced a "no eyes shut" and sometimes a dress policy, and most places hired private security guards to carry out these policies, creating a social tension. Many public toilets were closed.

This banished the homeless population to sidewalks, parks, under bridges, and the like. They also lived in the subway and railroad tunnels in New York City. They seemingly became socially invisible, which was the intention of many of the enforcement policies.

The homeless shelters, which were generally night shelters, made the homeless leave in the morning to whatever they could manage and return in the evening when the beds in the shelters opened up again for sleeping. There were some daytime shelters where the homeless could go, instead of being stranded on the streets, and they could be helped, get counseling, avail themselves of resources, meals, and otherwise spend their day until returning to their overnight sleeping arrangements. An example of such a day center shelter model is Saint Francis House in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in the early 1980s, which opens for the homeless all year long during the daytime hours and was originally based on the settlement house model. Saint Francis House is a nonprofit nonsectarian ecumenical daytime shelter, primarily for the homeless, located in downtown Boston Massachusetts, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. For the organisations for kibbutzim and moshavim see Settlement movement (Israel The settlement movement was involved in the creation of "settlement ^[66]

There was also the reality of the "bag" people, the shopping cart people, and the soda can collectors. These people carried around all their possessions with them all the time since they had no place to store them. If they had no access to or capability to get to a shelter and possible bathing, or access to toilets and laundry facilities, their hygiene was lacking. This again created social tensions in public places.

These conditions created an upsurge in tuberculosis and other diseases in urban areas. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common

In 1979, a New York City lawyer, Robert Hayes, brought a class action suit before the courts, Callahan v. Carey, against the City and State, arguing for a person's state constitutional "right to shelter". It was settled as a consent decree in August 1981. The City and State agreed to provide board and shelter to all homeless men who met the need standard for welfare or who were homeless by certain other standards. By 1983 this right was extended to homeless women.

By the mid-1980s, there was also a dramatic increase in family homelessness. Tied into this was an increasing number of impoverished and runaway children, teenagers, and young adults, which created a new sub-stratum of the homeless population.

Also, in the 1980s, in the United States, some federal legislation was introduced for the homeless as a result of the work of Congressman Stewart B. McKinney. Stewart Brett McKinney ( January 30, 1931 &ndash May 7, 1987) was an American politician who represented the fourth congressional In 1987, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was enacted. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 (Pub L 100-77 July 22 1987 101 Stat

Several organisations in some cities, such as New York and Boston, tried to be inventive about help to the swelling number of homeless people. In New York City, for example, in 1989, the first street newspaper was created called "Street News" which put some homeless to work, some writing, producing, and mostly selling the paper on streets and trains. Street newspapers are Newspapers that provide employment opportunities community and a voice to homeless and other economically vulnerable people ^[67] It was written pro bono by a combination of homeless, celebrities, and established writers. In 1991, in England, a street newspaper, following on the New York model was established, called "The Big Issue" and was published weekly. Founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991, The Big Issue produces an award winning entertainment and current affairs ^[68] Its circulation grew to 300,000. Chicago has "StreetWise" which has the largest circulation of its kind in the United States, thirty thousand. StreetWise is a Newspaper sold by people without homes or those at-risk for homelessness in Chicago. Boston has a "Spare Change" newspaper built on the same model as the others: homeless helping themselves. Spare Change News is a Street newspaper published in Cambridge Massachusetts through the efforts of the Homeless Empowerment Project, a Seattle has "Real Change," a $1 newsletter that directly benefits the homeless and also reports on economic issues in the area. More recently, Street Sense, in Washington, D. C. has gained a lot of popularity and helped many make the move out of homelessness. Students in Baltimore, M. D. have opened a satellite office for that street paper as well (www. streetsense. org). One program that has found success in New York City is Pathways to Housing, which adopts the Housing first philosophy in providing housing for those homeless with mental health issues. Pathways to Housing is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 by Dr Housing First is a relatively recent innovation in human service programs and Social policy regarding treatment of the Homeless.

In 2002, research showed that children and families were the largest growing segment of the homeless in America,^[69][70] and this has presented new challenges, especially in services, to agencies. Back in the 1990s, a teenager from New York, Liz Murray, was homeless at fifteen years old, and overcame that and went on to study at Harvard University. Elizabeth "Liz" Murray, born, is an American Inspirational speaker who is best known as having been Homeless in her youth and as having overcome Her story was made into an Emmy-winning film in 2003, "Homeless to Harvard".

Some trends involving the plight of the homeless have provoked some thought, reflection and debate. One such phenomenon is paid physical advertising, colloquially known as "sandwich board men"^[71][72] and another specific type as "Bumvertising". A sandwich board is a type of Advertisement composed of two boards (holding a message or graphic and being either Carried by a person with one board one in Bumvertising is a form of informal Employment in which a homeless person is paid to display Advertising. Another trend is the side effect of unpaid free advertising of companies and organisations on shirts, clothing and bags, to be worn by the homeless and poor, given out and donated by companies to homeless shelters and charitable organisations for otherwise altruistic purposes. These trends are reminiscent of the "sandwich board signs" carried by poor people in the time of Charles Dickens in the Victorian 1800s in England^[73] and later during the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s.

In the USA, the government asked many major cities to come up with a ten year plan to end homelessness. One of the results of this was a "Housing first" solution, rather than to have a homeless person remain in an emergency homeless shelter it was thought to be better to quickly get the person permanent housing of some sort and the necessary support services to sustain a new home. Housing First is a relatively recent innovation in human service programs and Social policy regarding treatment of the Homeless. But there are many complications of this kind of program and these must be dealt with to make such an initiative work successfully in the middle to long term. ^{[74] [75]}

It has been reported that some formerly homeless people, when they finally were able to get their housing and life straightened out and return to a normal lifestyle, felt moved and grateful enough to have donated some of their money back to the organizations which helped them when they were homeless. ^[76]

Violent crimes against the homeless

There have been many violent crimes committed against the homeless. ^[77] A recent study in 2007 found that this number is increasing. ^[78][79]

Voting Rights

Over half the states in the United States require a person to have an address in order to vote. In this fashion, many homeless people are denied the opportunity to vote. Similar situations exist in many countries in the world.

Tracking the homeless

In the USA, the federal government's HUD agency has required federally funded organizations to use a computer tracking system for the homeless and their statistics, called HMIS (Homeless Management Information System). ^[80][81][82] There has been some opposition to this kind of tracking by privacy advocacy groups, such as EPIC. Electronic Privacy Information Center or EPIC is a Public interest research group in Washington D ^[83]

Homelessness in the popular media

Popular songs

• 1908. If It's Good Enough for Washington It's Good Enough For Me, music by Percy Wenrich, words by Ren Shields - sleeping on bench in public square with statue of George Washington. Percy Wenrich ( January 23, 1880 - March 17, 1952) was a United States Composer of Ragtime and Popular music
• 1962. Man On the Street, by Bob Dylan, officially released on 1991's Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major
• 1963. Only a Hobo, by Bob Dylan, officially released on 1991's Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major
• 1968. I Am a Lonesome Hobo, by Bob Dylan, from his 8th studio recording John Wesley Harding (album). Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major John Wesley Harding is Bob Dylan 's 8th Studio album, released by Columbia Records in 1967. A humble warning from a homeless man to those who are better off.
• 1969. Highway Chile, by Jimi Hendrix Experience. Highway Chile is a mono single B-side by Jimi Hendrix from the Top Ten chart single " The Wind Cries Mary " "The Experience" redirects here For other uses of this term see Experience (disambiguation. The song is about a homeless man that Jimi met when he was on tour.
• 1972. Aqualung, by Jethro Tull
• 1977. " Aqualung " is a song by English Progressive rock band Jethro Tull, the title track from their first U We'd Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover in the musical, "Annie"
• 1991. Annie is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray Comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Something In The Way, music by Nirvana, Written by Kurt Cobain when he was young and homeless and sleeping under a bridge. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle
• 1991. Even Flow, music by Pearl Jam, lyrics written by Eddie Vedder telling a story about a homeless man. " Even Flow " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album Ten (1991 Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist
• 1993. Somebody's Baby by Pat Benatar. Pat Benatar (born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski on 10 January 1953) is an influential four-time Grammy Award -winning American

Popular films

• 1914. The Little Tramp with Charlie Chaplin
• 1966. The Tramp, also known as The Little Tramp ( Charlot internationally Carlitos in Brazilian Portuguese) was Charlie Chaplin 's most memorable Cathy Come Home - An influential film by Ken Loach which raised the profile of homelessness in the UK and led indirectly to the formation of several charities and changes in legislation. Cathy Come Home was a British Television play by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach
• 1977. Simple Gifts at the Internet Movie Database opening original segment by Maurice Sendak in collection of six animated Christmas shorts, PBS TV special issued on VHS in 1993. Maurice Bernard Sendak (born June 10, 1928, in Brooklyn New York) is an American Writer and Illustrator of Children's literature
• 1986. Down and Out in Beverly Hills
• 1991. Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a 1986 American Comedy film, based on the French play Boudu sauvé des eaux Curly Sue - John Hughes film starring James Belushi
• 1991. Curly Sue is a 1991 comedy Film starring James Belushi, Alisan Porter and Kelly Lynch. John Hughes is the name of John Hughes (archbishop (1797-1864 American Roman Catholic Businessmen John Hughes (businessman James Adam "Jim" Belushi (born June 15, 1954) is an American Actor, Comedian and Musician, the younger brother Life Stinks
• 1994. Life Stinks is a 1991 Comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. It is known as one of the few Mel Brooks films that is not a satire With Honors
• 1997. La Vendedora de Rosas at the Internet Movie Database - Adaptation of The Little Match Girl
• 2003. "The Little Match Girl" (Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne is a Fairy tale by Danish Poet and Author Hans Christian Andersen Homeless to Harvard: the Liz Murray Story at the Internet Movie Database -- see Liz Murray
• 2006. Elizabeth "Liz" Murray, born, is an American Inspirational speaker who is best known as having been Homeless in her youth and as having overcome The Pursuit of Happyness - the story of Chris Gardner

Books

• 1933. The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 American Biographical film directed by Gabriele Muccino about the on and off-homeless salesman-turned-stockbroker Christopher Paul Gardner (born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee Wisconsin) is a self-made Millionaire, Entrepreneur, Motivational Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell 's semi-autobiographical account of living in Poverty in both cities Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer
• 2005. Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (With Kids) in America by Michelle Kennedy.
• 2005. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls. Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist One of four siblings she was born in Phoenix Arizona. ISBN 0743247531
• 2005. Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski.

Documentary films

• 1984. Streetwise -- follows homeless Seattle youth. Streetwise is a 1984 documentary by director Martin Bell not to be confused with the war journalist Martin Bell.
• 1993. It Was a Wonderful Life at the Internet Movie Database -- chronicles the lives of six articulate, educated, "hidden homeless" women as they struggle from day to day. Narrated by Jodie Foster.
• 1997. The Street: A Film with the Homeless at the Internet Movie Database -- about the Canadian homeless in Montreal. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec New York Times Review,
• 2000. Dark Days -- A film following the lives of homeless adults living in the Amtrak tunnels in New York. Dark Days is a documentary made by Marc Singer, a British filmmaker
• 2001. Children Underground -- Following the lives of homeless children in Bucharest, Romania. Children Underground is a 2001 Documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.
• 2003. À Margem da Imagem at the Internet Movie Database -- about the homeless in São Paulo, Brazil. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Its English title is "On the Fringes of São Paulo: Homeless".
• 2004. Homeless in America at the Internet Movie Database
• 2005. The Children of Leningradsky -- About homeless children in Moscow.
• 2005. Reversal of Fortune -- Explores what a homeless who is given $100,000 and is free to do with it whatever he wishes. Reversal of Fortune is a Showtime documentary filmed in 2005 which asks the question "What would a homeless person do if they were given $100000?"
• 2007. Easy Street -- about the homeless in St. Petersburg, Florida. St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States.

TV and radio documentaries

• 1977. Underneath the Arches, a ground-breaking documentary produced by Owen Spencer-Thomas on BBC Radio London in which London’s homeless people were enabled to tell their own stories. For other uses see Underneath the Arches (disambiguation Underneath the Arches was an award-winning documentary on BBC Radio London Owen Robert Spencer-Thomas MBE was born on 3 March 1940 in Braughing, Hertfordshire, England.
• 1988. Home Sweet Homeless at the Internet Movie Database -- a CBS Schoolbreak Special about a mother and her son who find themselves having to live in their car. The American Broadcasting Company coined the term After School Special with a series of made for television movies usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant

Visual Arts

• 2005. Photographic expose by Michel Mersereau entitled "Between The Cracks"

See also

Other itinerant or homeless people or terms for this condition

• Carnies
• Circuit rider
• Economic migrants
• Freight train hoppers
• Gutter punks
• Gyrovagues
• Hoboes
• Internally displaced persons
• Itinerants
• Mendicants
• Nomads
• Perpetual travelers
• Refugees
• Gypsies (Romani people)
• Rough sleepers
• Schnorrer
• Street children
• Street walkers
• Technomads
• Tramps
• Vagabond
• Vagrancy

Socioeconomic issues or aspects of homeless life

• Flophouses
• Free rider problem
• Homelessness in Australia
• Homelessness in Canada
• Homelessness in England
• Homelessness in the United States
• Housing authority
• Panhandling and begging
• Poverty
• Squatting in abandoned houses
• Substance abuse

Miscellaneous homelessness-related articles

• Bumvertising
• Homeless World Cup
• Housing first
• Jack Tafari
• StandUp For Kids
• Homeless Discrimination

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

• Survival Guide to Homelessness
• Homeless Statistics for Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. A dissertation (also called thesis or disquisition) is a document that presents the author's Research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature
• Law Librarian's questions and answers about legal information for the homeless.
• Salvation Army International
• Scottish Borders Council Homelessness Services
• Homeless Man Speaks, an on-the-street perspective
• Les Enfants de Don Quichotte, French NGO which organized illegal camping-sites on the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris end of December 2006-January 2007 in order to enforce the right to lodging (droit au logement). Canal Saint-Martin is a 45km long Canal in Paris, France. Geography It stretches from the Square Frédérick Lemaître
• Toxic Playground: Growing Up In Skid Row
• Down and Out in Kyushu, interview with a young Japanese homeless man
• Homelessness course - University of Maryland Sociology course by Dr. Reeve Vanneman.
• National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day (USA) - Information on National Homeless Person's Memorial Day, December 21

Resources

• FirstStep Guide to getting help for the homeless - US Government HHS, HUD, et al. The United States Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting The United States Department of Housing, often abbreviated HUD, is a Cabinet department of the United States federal government.

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