October 9, 2022

THIS WEEK IN HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS

The ‘narrow definition’ of homelessness

Sources: Breaking News Ireland, Focus Ireland, Chicago Tribune, NPR, Emmanuel House, The Guardian

In many cities around the world, the definition of homelessness is having an impact on government responses and aid by undercounting the number of people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. 

A report found that the definition of homelessness in Ireland was too narrow and thus hindered more comprehensive responses for people experiencing homelessness or housing issues. The report was launched by Focus Ireland, a non-profit organisation based in Dublin that provides services for people experiencing homelessness.

In Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported that the federal government agency identified 5,390 people experiencing homelessness in 2022 in the city, while a 2022 report released by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless reported 65,611 people. The staggering difference in numbers was also attributed to the narrow definition used by the state. 

Government definitions of homelessness oftentimes focus solely on individuals with no fixed means of shelter, and often excludes people living in temporary spaces such as couchsurfing.

“This is a real opportunity to put a number to a population that has otherwise been hidden in data,” Sam Carlson, manager of research and outreach for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, told Chicago Tribune. The undercounting of homelessness in data and survey collections is also referred to as ‘hidden homelessness’. 

Narrow definitions of homelessness also hinder the ability to prevent homelessness in the first place. In the United Kingdom, for example, 1.4 million people with legal residence were found to have no access to the country’s welfare services due to their immigration status, a decision outlined in current UK policies. For those living in poverty, the risk of becoming unhoused is thus increased.

Cities experiencing ‘soaring real estate markets’ tend to also have the most severe housing crises. In the United States, data collection of people experiencing homelessness includes a ‘Point In Time’ (PIT) report, where volunteers go out on one day to physically count people living in the streets. 

‘It [inaccurate numbers] gives [US] Congress a false picture of the true magnitude of the problem,’ Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, told The Guardian. ‘We need to have accurate data if we are going to provide accurate solutions.’