Homelessness
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Homeless)
"Homeless" redirects here. For other uses, see
Homeless (disambiguation).
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(March 2016)
A homeless man in
Paris,
France.
Homelessness is the condition of people without a permanent
dwelling, such as a
house or
apartment. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate
housing.
[1] The legal definition of
homeless varies from country to country, or among different jurisdictions in the same country or region.[
dubious – discuss]
[2] The term
homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a
homeless shelter, a
warming center, a
domestic violence shelter, long-term residence in a
motel, a vehicle (including recreational vehicles and campers),
squatting,
cardboard boxes, a
tent city,
tarpaulins,
shanty town structures made of discarded building materials or other
ad hoc housing situations. According to the UK homelessness charity Crisis, a home is not just a physical space: it also provides roots, identity, security, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing.
[3] American government homeless enumeration studies
[4][5] also include people who sleep in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
[6][7] There are a number of organizations who provide help for the homeless, for example,
The Salvation Army.
In 2005, an estimated 100 million (1 in 65) people worldwide were homeless, and as many as 1 billion people live as squatters, refugees or in temporary shelter, all lacking adequate housing.
[8][9][10] In Western countries, the large majority of homeless are men (75–80%), with single males particularly overrepresented.
[11][12][13]
Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people. These services often provide food, shelter (beds) and clothing and may be organized and run by community organizations (often with the help of volunteers) or by government departments or agencies. These programs may be supported by the government, charities, churches and individual donors. Many cities also have
street newspapers, which are publications designed to provide employment opportunity to homeless people. While some homeless have jobs, some must seek other methods to make a living.
Begging or
panhandling is one option, but
is becoming increasingly illegal in many cities. People who are homeless may have additional conditions, such as physical or mental health issues or substance addiction; these issues make resolving homelessness a challenging policy issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness