Homelessness

Extracted Attributes

• Synonyms

  Houselessness, unhoused, unsheltered

• Definition

  The condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing.

• Consequences

  Profound mental and emotional strains, increased vulnerability to psychological conditions, distress, substance use disorders, violent victimization, PTSD, depression, anxiety, social isolation, economic desperation

• Legal Status

  Varies significantly by location

• Other Causes

  Poverty, unemployment, inadequate access to quality healthcare and supportive services, structural racism, ableism, leaving prison/care/army with no home, escaping violent/abusive relationships

• Interrelation

  Closely linked to poverty

• Manifestations

  Living on the streets (rough sleeping), moving between temporary accommodations, residing in boarding houses without security of tenure, internally displaced persons

• Measurement Method

  No standardized method; most cities rely on estimated figures

• Primary Driver (US)

  Scarce and expensive housing, lack of affordable housing, income/public benefits not keeping up with rising housing costs

• Mental Illness Rates

  More than twice the rate for the general population among homeless individuals

• US Enumeration Criteria

  Includes people sleeping in public or private places not designed for regular human sleeping accommodation

• Average Age of Death (UK)

  45 for men, 43 for women

Timeline

• An estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless, with up to one billion living in inadequate housing situations. (Source: summary, DBPedia)

  2005

• Approximately 653,100 people experienced homelessness in the United States, a record high and a 12% increase over 2022. (Source: web_search_results)

  2023

• An estimated 143,105 people were chronically homeless in the United States. (Source: web_search_results)

  2023

• Homelessness increased in 41 states across the United States. (Source: web_search_results)

  2022-2023

• Approximately 330 million people worldwide are estimated to experience absolute homelessness, lacking any form of shelter. (Source: summary, Wikipedia)

  2025

Homelessness

Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, living in boarding houses with no security of tenure, and people who leave their homes because of civil conflict and are refugees within their country. The legal status of homeless people varies from place to place. Homeless enumeration studies conducted by the government of the United States also include people who sleep in a public or private place that is not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Homelessness and poverty are interrelated. There is no standardized method for counting homeless individuals and identifying their needs; consequently, most cities only have estimated figures for their homeless populations. In 2025, approximately 330 million people worldwide experience absolute homelessness, lacking any form of shelter. Homeless persons who travel have been termed vagrants in the past; of those, persons looking for work are hobos, whereas those who do not are tramps. All three of these terms, however, generally have a derogatory connotation today.

Web Search Results

• Psychological causes and effects of homelessness

  Homelessness is a complex issue with significant psychological causes and effects that impact individuals, particularly those with mental health challenges. Individuals experiencing homelessness often face elevated rates of mental illness, with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder being particularly prevalent. The lack of stable housing can lead to a downward spiral exacerbating existing mental health issues, as many homeless individuals struggle to access necessary mental [...] According to the American Psychological Association, homelessness occurs when a person lacks a safe, stable, and appropriate place to live; both unsheltered and sheltered individuals can be considered homeless. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that on any given night in 2023, approximately 653,100 people were homeless in the United States and an estimated 143,105 people were chronically homeless. Rates of mental illness among homeless individuals in the United States [...] Homelessness has deep psychological effects on individuals, especially children and adolescents. Furthermore, rates of mental illness among homeless people are estimated to be more than twice the rate for the general population. Homeless individuals are typically unable to access adequate mental health care and treatment, and in its absence, they often sink deeper into the social isolation and economic desperation that further hinders their ability to find safe and stable housing.

• What Is Homelessness in America?

  Homelessness is one of America’s most visible yet least understood challenges. It affects people from all walks of life who struggle due to economic hardship, lack of affordable housing, or other systemic barriers. The reality is that most people are forced into homelessness by circumstances beyond their control. The solutions lie in systemic changes, not quick fixes. ## Who Experiences Homelessness? [...] Contrary to common narratives, homelessness is not primarily caused by personal factors like addiction or mental illness. These may be precipitating factors for some people, but the homelessness crisis is primarily driven by broader economic and systemic issues, such as: ### Lack of affordable housing. Learn more ### Income and public benefits not keeping up with rising housing costs. Learn more ### Inadequate access to quality healthcare and supportive services. Learn more [...] Anyone can experience homelessness. And while every person faces unique challenges, all people experiencing homelessness are impacted by systemic issues like the lack of affordable housing and inadequate incomes. ### The largest categories of people who experience homelessness include: #### Individual Adults #### People in Families #### Veterans #### Older Adults #### People who are Chronically Homeless #### Unaccompanied Youth

• The Costs and Harms of Homelessness

  Homelessness poses profound mental and emotional strains. Daily stressors, such as ensuring personal safety and finding a place to sleep, coupled with the instability and trauma of being unhoused, can increase an individual’s vulnerability to psychological conditions, distress, and substance use disorders. Moreover, homelessness puts people at greater risk of violent victimization, which has serious mental health consequences including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, [...] from an intricate interplay of income inequality, structural racism, and ableism, homelessness stands at a juncture where entrenched disparities converge. [...] ### On a global scale, homelessness is a profound human rights crisis.

• Homelessness: Causes, Types and Facts

  People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes of housing insecurity and homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which push people into homelessness. People are forced into homelessness when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many women experiencing homelessness have escaped a violent or abusive relationship. Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent. [...] Donate Get help # About homelessness ## Homelessness: causes, types and facts Homelessness is devastating, dangerous and isolating. The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 45 for men and 43 for women, according to the Office of National Statistics. [...] To be legally defined as homeless you must either lack a secure place in which you are entitled to live or not reasonably be able to stay. However, in order to receive assistance under the main homelessness duty, there are further strict criteria that you have to meet. Local authorities may initially provide temporary accommodation to households who might meet these criteria, mainly families with children. ### Hidden homelessness

• Homelessness in America: Statistics, Analysis, & Trends

  The most insidious aspect of the nation’s housing crisis is chronic homelessness – defined as individuals with disabilities who have been homeless for more than 12 months or have experienced several periods of extended homelessness over the past three years. [...] 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. in 2023. That number represents a record-high tally and a 12 percent increase over 2022. 111,620 children were without homes in America last year. Homelessness increased in 41 states between 2022 and 2023, with New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York having the highest percentage increases. New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in 2023.

Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also known as rough sleeping (primary homelessness); * moving between temporary shelters, including houses of friends, family, and emergency accommodation (secondary homelessness); and * living in private boarding houses without a private bathroom or security of tenure (tertiary homelessness). * have no permanent house or place to live safely * Internally Displaced Persons, persons compelled to leave their places of domicile, who remain as refugees within their country's borders. The rights of people experiencing homelessness also varies from country to country. United States government homeless enumeration studies also include people who sleep in a public or private place, which is not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Homelessness and poverty are interrelated. There is no methodological consensus on counting homeless people and identifying their needs; therefore, in most cities, only estimated homeless populations are known. In 2005, an estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless, and as many as one billion people (one in 6.5 at the time) live as squatters, refugees, or in temporary shelter, all lacking adequate housing. Scarce and expensive housing is the main cause of rising homelessness in the United States.