Defining Homelessness
“Homelessness” is a term that is subject to many and varied definitions each of which is justified in terms of the specific agenda of the agency concerned. For the government, various statutes define “homelessness” in terms of something that can either be counted, for statistical purposes, or something that can be fixed, such as housing. Community workers faced with the full gamut of problems associated with “homelessness” and an insatiable need for support and funding, usually define the circumstances within the broader context of social breakdown and the reasons thereto. These definitions are often further dissected into more specific, identifiable and manageable subsections.
Internationally homelessness presents the same conundrum.
There is a general consensus that these many definitions can co-exist and used as circumstances require, which is very convenient. It is generally considered to be a process which occurs over time, rather than a state of being at a specific point in time The process itself is complex and embraces many socio-economic and demographic considerations. There is even a school of thought that regards homelessness as a career – and it is a very persuasive argument.
The nature of homelessness resists the generalisation of a single definition. However this report explores the possibility of one all embracing definition of homelessness from a causative rather than symptomatic perspective; it is possible that the solution to homelessness lies within another quarter away from the client group which is not comfortable to the community and assigns responsibility to the carcinogenic nature of decaying societies where disconnectedness is prevalent and social justice is defined in statutes and status rather than on the good nature, discretion and charity of the community.
Officially there is no single definition for homelessness.
In Australia homelessness is...
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