The Definition of Homeless
Homeless refers to a person without a permanent, stable place to live. People can be homeless due to a lack of affordable housing or intractable social issues like poverty, substance abuse, and mental illness. Scholars, healthcare workers, and advocates agree that two major contributing factors are a lack of income-generating jobs and a shortage of affordable housing. Other contributing factors include a high incarceration rate and racial/ethnic discriminatory housing practices, which are often overlooked in efforts to reduce homelessness. The people experiencing homelessness can be broken down into several subgroups: single adult men, family members with children, unaccompanied youth, individuals in rural areas, and those with serious psychiatric conditions or intellectual disabilities.
The definition of homelessness varies by community and is based on local needs. The federal McKinney-Vento Act of 1997 requires all communities to define and address homelessness through a local plan based on data collected by local governments, agencies, and service providers. These local plans are reviewed and approved by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), an independent executive branch body.
To determine the number of people who are homeless on a given night, many communities conduct a point-in-time count. This is a census-like survey conducted in one day when the majority of homeless shelters and services are at capacity. The results are then used to make decisions on funding allocations and to measure the effectiveness of homelessness programs.
According to HUD, a person is considered homeless if they do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate place to stay. This includes living in a motel, camping ground, or on the street. In addition, if an individual is staying with someone but that person can ask them to leave at any time and they do not have another place to go, they are likely to meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness.
Individuals who have been continuously homeless for a long period of time are known as chronically homeless. This is a complex group to serve and requires specialized training, resources, and support systems. The most common causes of chronic homelessness are poor economic conditions, family discord, and mental health or substance abuse problems. Some individuals experience episodic homelessness, which is a shorter duration of being homeless and can be overcome with treatment and other supports.
Adolescents and young adults are a particularly vulnerable group that faces significant barriers to maintaining housing stability and access to health care. Various studies suggest that one of the most common pathways to homelessness for this group is out-of-home placement, including evictions and family separations, which can lead to unstable living arrangements. Other causes of homelessness among this group include a lack of access to education, employment opportunities, and family support. Many of these youth also have hard-to-treat psychiatric conditions or have experienced trauma or abuse in their lives. This group is the fastest-growing demographic of homelessness and should be addressed with specific strategies that include targeted prevention, workforce development, and housing assistance.