Abstract
Homelessness is not a fixed concept. Yet to determine people’s entitlement to support with rehousing, homelessness is defined through criteria perceived as objective for enumeration in censuses and surveys and in legal terms in some countries, the United Kingdom nations being good examples. Academics also construct and employ working definitions for social and medical research and enter into debates about the merits and demerits of choosing between differing ideas about where a definition of homelessness should begin and end. The lack of a conceptually robust and pragmatic definition of homelessness has resulted in inconsistencies in research, policy, and practice. At the core of these challenges is where the line between some form of physical shelter and a ‘home’ should be drawn in defining homelessness. Homelessness is rarely viewed as only encompassing literal rooflessness, and there are ongoing debates, which this chapter explores, about where homemaking and home should sit within our understanding of, and responses to, homelessness.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge Handbook of Home |
| Editors | Elaine Stratford, Katie Walsh |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 1 Jan 2024 |
Keywords
- Homelessness
- Home