Definition of homelessness :
Groups of people can experience homelessness in different ways, but all homelessness is characterized by extreme poverty together with a lack of stable housing.
A homeless individual is defined as :
An individual who lacks a regular and adequate night time residence
An individual who has as primary nighttime residence that is public / private place not for regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (car, park, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, airports or camping grounds)
An individual living in a supervised publicly/ privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements
An individual who resides in a shelter / place not meant for human habitation
An individual who lacks resources or support networks needed to obtain permanent housing (after imminent loss of housing)
The definition also includes:
Unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children who have experienced a long-term period without living independently in permanent housing, have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, and can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time.
Categories of people staying temporarily with friends and family.
Homelessness worldwide
According to estimates, over 1 billion people worldwide are homeless. The estimated number of homeless increases significantly if we include those in housing that is “very insecure or temporary, often of poor quality; those living in refugee camps whose home has been destroyed; and those living in temporary shelters.
The problem isn’t limited to the developing world. In the European Union countries, an estimated 2.5 million people are homeless over the course of the year. In the US, estimates are that at least 700,000 people are homeless on any given night – living in public places or in emergency shelters. At some time during the year, some 2 million Americans are homeless.
Inadequate housing takes a variety of forms world-wide, including: cages (Hong Kong); buses and shipping containers (Israel and the occupied territories); pavements (India and Bangladesh); cellars, staircases, containers and rooftops (Europe); streets (children throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe); and cardboard boxes (United States).
