Abstract
Single homelessness describes the lived experience of lone adults who become homeless. The term encompasses lone adults who are transitionally homeless, who can shift back and forth between situations of economic, social and housing exclusion and homelessness. Single homelessness also includes lone adults experiencing recurrent or sustained homelessness, often in association with multiple and complex needs. Lone adult, ‘single’ homelessness lies at the heart of definitional, logistical, political and conceptual debates about the nature of homelessness and how to respond to it. This chapter explores the dimensions of single homelessness. The first section looks at the ways in which single homelessness is defined and, it is argued here, given shape by the intersection of administrative, methodological, logistical and legal processes. The chapter then looks at the evidence on the lived experience of single homelessness and considers the strengths and limits of our current understanding. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the current thinking on the best means to prevent, reduce and ultimately end these forms of homelessness.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Handbook of Homelessness Research |
Editors | Dennis Culhane, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Guy Johnson, Stephen Metraux, Eoin O'Sullivan |
Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing |
Chapter | 18 |
Pages | 252-263 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 1 Jan 2024 |
Keywords
- Homelessness