Measuring homelessness : a review of recent research

Abstract

Homelessness has been an issue of acute concern for a long time. The topic has stimulated research initiatives in different disciplines for the past couple of decades. The focus of these research initiatives have been conditioned by the perceptions and preoccupations of the period. In recent years the study of the rootless, largely male, wanderer and tramp, and the life of Skid Row, has moved focus. The chief topics of interest now are-determining the numbers of the homeless, and identifying distinctive characteristics and life circumstances, that might explain what has befallen them. Many recent studies are designed to provide direction for solutions that might address the homeless problem. This review presents a selection of literature that represents the topics and range of discussion on homelessness in the U.S. and Canada, and to a limited extent, Britain and Australia.