Homelessness

Homelessness is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. It includes living in shelters, temporary accommodation, or places not intended for habitation.

Street homelessness: Homelessness involving stays in public spaces or other places not intended for habitation. It is the most visible form of homelessness, though it represents only part of the condition.
Housing affordability: The relationship between housing costs and the resources households have available to pay them. When rents exceed available income, households have less protection against housing loss.
Permanent supportive housing: Permanent housing paired with voluntary support services for people with ongoing support needs. It combines stable housing with services for people facing persistent barriers to independent housing.
Health effects of homelessness: The physical and mental health consequences associated with lacking stable, safe housing. Exposure, disrupted care, and stress can worsen health during homelessness.
Emergency shelter: Short-term accommodation providing immediate refuge for people without stable housing. Shelters offer a temporary alternative to sleeping outdoors, often with limited capacity or duration.
Eviction: The legal or informal removal of a tenant from a home by a landlord or other authority. Eviction can directly displace households and increase their risk of homelessness.
Homelessness prevention: Policies and services intended to keep people from losing housing or entering homelessness. Prevention intervenes before displacement creates a need for shelter or rehousing.
Housing insecurity: Uncertainty about whether housing will remain stable, adequate, or affordable. It is a broader condition that can precede homelessness without requiring current housing loss.
Family homelessness: Homelessness experienced by families with children, often in shelters or temporary accommodation. Families may be displaced without becoming visible in public spaces.
Domestic violence: Abuse or coercive behavior by an intimate partner or family member in a domestic setting. Leaving an unsafe home can force people into homelessness when safe housing is unavailable.

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