This sub-field examines the causes and consequences of homelessness in urban environments and strategies for homelessness prevention and intervention.
Definition of Homelessness: An in-depth understanding of the different definitions of homelessness used in research and policy contexts, and the implications of these definitions for addressing homelessness in cities.
Causes of Homelessness: Exploration of the various factors that contribute to homelessness, including poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental health issues, addiction, and systemic inequalities in urban spaces.
Homelessness and Urbanization: How the growth of cities and changing economic and social structures affect homelessness, including the impact of urbanization on the availability of affordable housing and employment opportunities.
Homelessness as a Social Problem: Understanding homelessness as a social problem that results from systematic inequalities in access to resources, opportunities and social networks, and the various interventions that exist to address homelessness.
The Homeless Population: Understanding the diversity of the homeless population, including women, children, veterans, and individuals with mental health or addiction issues, and the different issues and challenges that arise in serving these populations.
Homelessness and the Urban Environment: Examining the impact of the built environment on homelessness, including the availability and accessibility of social services, the physical space available for the homeless population, and the role of public policy and urban planning in shaping the urban environment.
Homelessness and the Criminal Justice System: Understanding the criminalization of homelessness and how this affects the homeless population, including the use of police enforcement and criminal sanctions, and the impact of these policies on the health and well-being of the homeless population.
Homelessness and Community Responses: Exploring the role of community-based responses to homelessness, including the role of grassroots organizations, faith-based groups, and other community-led initiatives, in addressing the needs of the homeless population.
Solutions to Homelessness: Analyzing the various strategies for addressing homelessness, including housing and social service programs, outreach and engagement efforts, and advocacy and policy reform.
Comparative Perspective on Homelessness: Understanding how homelessness is experienced in different urban contexts globally and how that affects the responses to homelessness by local governments, NGOs and neighborhood communities.
Structuralist Approach: This approach analyses homelessness as a result of social, economic, and political structures within urban society. It focuses on the macro-level causes of homelessness, such as lack of affordable housing, high unemployment, poverty, and insufficient social welfare policies that serve the poor.
Culturalist Approach: The culturalist approach emphasises the roles of cultural and behavioural factors leading to homelessness, such as mental illness, substance abuse, and family dysfunction. It argues that homelessness is the result of idiosyncratic choices and lifestyle decisions rather than being the outcome of larger systemic issues.
Neo-Marxist Approach: This approach combines elements of the structuralist approach with Marxist theory, arguing that homelessness is a manifestation of capitalist exploitation that creates inequality and exclusion within urban societies.
Social Network Analysis: This approach focuses on the networks of relationships among homeless people and explores how social ties influence their experiences of homelessness. It emphasises the importance of social capital in helping people exit homelessness and achieve social integration.
Gender and Intersectionality: This approach highlights the gendered and intersecting experiences of homelessness among different groups, such as women, LGBTQIA+, or people of colour. It explores how the intersection of race, gender, and class shape the experiences of homelessness and the ways different groups access shelter and support services.
Comparative Perspectives: This approach compares the experiences of homelessness across different cultural, economic, and political contexts. It aims to gain insights into the diversity of homelessness across different regions and countries and identify best practices for homeless policy and intervention programs.
Critical Urban Studies: Critical urban scholars argue that homelessness is part of broader urban restructuring that privileges private ownership and market growth over social solidarity and social welfare policies. It explores how urban policies like gentrification, displacement, and criminalisation affect homeless people's social and economic exclusion.