Defining homelessness •Absolute - the condition of people without physical shelter who sleep outdoors, in vehicles, abandoned buildings or other places not intended for human habitation •Relative - the condition of those who have a physical shelter, but one that does not meet basic standards of health and safety; these include protection from the elements, access to safe water and sanitation, security of tenure, personal safety and affordability (Hwang, 2001) •Apparent, hidden, potential (Hradecký & Hradecká, 1996) •Alienation for the rest of the society (Ravenhill, 2016) •Broad consensus that the term ‘homelessness’ covers more living situations than being without a roof over one’s head Home •“having a decent dwelling (or space) adequate to meet the needs of the person and his/her family (physical domain); being able to maintain privacy and enjoy social relations (social domain) and having exclusive possession, security of occupation and legal title (legal domain)“ (Edgar, 2009, p. 15) •Three domains of home (Edgar, 2009) •Physical •Legal •Social •Homelessness is absence of home •Absence of two and more domains – homelessness •Absence of 1 domain – housing exlusion •Roofless •Living rough •Emergency accommodation •Houseless •Accommodation for homeless •Women‘s shelters •Accommodation for immigrants •People due to be released from institutions •Insecure housing •Insecure accommodation •Under threat of eviction •Under threat of violence •Inadequate housing •Temporary or non-conventional structures •Unfit housing •Extreme overcrowding ETHOS – The European Typology on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion Causes of homelessness •Structural •Economic processes that affect income or employment stability •Citizenship and lack of access to social protection •Housing market (affordability, social housing) •Institutional •Shortage of services •Lack of coordination between existing services •Allocation mechanisms •Relationship •Family status – e.g. single parents more vulnerable •Relationship situation – abusive partners, step-parents •Relationship breakdown – death, divorce, separation •Personal •Disability, long-term illness •Low education attainment •Addiction - drugs, alcohol, gambling (bitcoin?) •Age and gender •Immigration situation – refugee status / recent arrival • Transitions and trajectories •Transition – a single life change or event •Married to single •Employed – unemployed •Healthy – injured •Trajectory – long-term process, set of transitions •Education •Career •Mental illnesses • Some numbers (2019) •23 825 in total •2 595 children •11 608 – sleeping rough or at night shelters •Due to be released from: •Prisons – 1500 •Hospitals – 2 668 •Prague – 3 056 •Brno – 1 762 •700 000 – Europe estimation (FEANTSA, 2020) – 70 % increase in 10 years •COVID? •Reality? More numbers •In Ireland 1 in 3 homeless people in temporary accommodation was a child •In England 90% of single parent families applying for public support for homeless people were women •In Finland 25% of homeless families are immigrants •In Austria homeless people had a mortality risk 4 times higher than the rest of the population •In London the coronavirus mortality rate of homeless people living in emergency accommodation has been 25 times higher than that of the general adult population •In France 495 homeless people died in the streets in 2019 Why understanding homelessness matter? • •The public perception •Based on the roofless •Just the tip of the iceberg •Most controversial, problematic •Financing •Prevention •Social exclusion •More societal groups in one bag •Young, elderly, physical/mental health, addictions, immigrants, criminals •Fear • • • Who are homeless people? • • • • • • • • • 1st assignment •Essay (750 words) covering: •Your perception and understanding of homelessness •Identify potential stereotypes/prejudice you may have •Reflect it using ETHOS •Suggest ways how to overcome stereotypical/prejudicial understanding of homeless people