DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding Homelessness: a Systematic Review of Definitions, Conceptualisations and Representations of Homelessness

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding Homelessness: a Systematic Review of Definitions, Conceptualisations and Representations of Homelessness http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/ Research Commons at the University of Waikato Copyright Statement: The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis. Understandings of Homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand and how they Impact a Local Response: A Case Study of The People’s Project in Hamilton A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Population Studies at The University of Waikato by Renée Frances Shum 2021 ii | Page Abstract Administrative and census data documented the increase of homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2006 and 2018. At the same time, homelessness increased in significance as a social issue. In 2009, the first New Zealand definition of homelessness was published by Statistics New Zealand. In 2013, a rigorous definition of severe housing deprivation was conceptualised by New Zealand academics. However, New Zealand governments ignored these definitions as the basis for formal recognition and enumeration of homelessness, leaving questions around the composition of homelessness in New Zealand open to debate. Informed by academic literature on understandings of homelessness and government responses to homelessness in Australia, Canada and the United States of America, this thesis examines governmental understandings and public sector considerations of homelessness in New Zealand between 2008 and 2018. It traces the influence of New Zealand central governmental understandings of homelessness on the response to homelessness at a local level in Hamilton city. Using The People’s Project in Hamilton as a case study, this research evaluates some of the challenges and opportunities of coordinating a system-wide approach and Housing First response to homelessness in the New Zealand context. Results from a systematic review of academic and grey literature, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders from both public sector agencies and The People’s Project, reveal nuanced geographies of homelessness at national and local scales. The dominant political discourse employs limited meanings and constrains understandings of homelessness. As a form of cultural signification, this political discourse coalesced with locally specific factors inform a response to homelessness in Hamilton. The political ambivalence of Housing First provided an opportunity to both remove the visible presence of homelessness in Hamilton, and for The People’s Project to drive systems disruption with public sector services. Lack of a central government mandate limited efforts at the local level in Hamilton for the public sector to respond to homelessness. The findings of this research confirm that a consistent understanding of homelessness is instrumental in supporting an effective response to end and prevent homelessness. As the New Zealand Government implements its first ever homelessness action plan, it is imperative that central government implement all of the necessary changes to ensure public sector systems support rather than hinder local efforts in response to homelessness. Crucially, the government needs to ensure that whatever policy settings are put in place are responsive to New Zealand specific manifestations of homelessness. iii | Page Acknowledgements I would like to firstly express my sincere and deepest appreciation to my supervisors, Dr Colin McLeay, Associate Professor Polly Atatoa Carr, and Professor Damian Collins for their unwavering support and continued encouragement. Thank you for always having confidence in my abilities, this thesis would not have been possible without your time, energy and expertise to guide me through what has been a challenging but fulfilling journey. Thank you to my participants for their enthusiasm and willingness to share their invaluable perspectives and experiences. A special thanks to The People’s Project team, particularly Julie, Kerry and Carole, who have been incredibly generous with their time and efforts. Your unparalleled knowledge and insights have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of such a complex issue. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour fund and the Thomas-Pay-it-Forward Scholarship which made this research possible. To the staff and students at the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis (NIDEA) and the Geography Programme, thank you for inspiring me in my time as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Waikato. I will forever value the connections I made and the experiences I had during my time as a student. To The Rauhī Project whanau and community, of which I am so incredibly honoured to have been a part, thank you for bringing joy and music into my life. I can’t wait to see what all of you will achieve in the future. Mariah, Leah, Jesse and Trent – thanks for all of the laughs, game nights and side adventures along the way. To the Perry-Lane-Lowe-Simpson clan, I will be forever grateful for all of the distractions and fond memories created over incredible food and perfectly brewed cups of tea. Deb and Jim, thank you for all of the wholesome conversations and for providing an oasis for us introverts. My heartfelt thanks go to John Ryks who started me on this journey and who kept this turkey brain somewhat sane along the way! To my biggest support crew - Chi Man, Caroline, Thomas, Isobel, Terence, Stephanie, Jessica and my incredible husband Jack, thank you for surrounding me with laughter and boundless love, always. Finally, my deepest gratitude to my late mother Madeline, for inspiring me to live a life led by kindness, and for being the greatest example of having strength against adversity. iv | Page Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................. x List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter One: Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Rationale ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 How and why Homelessness Emerged as a Major Policy Problem in New Zealand……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...8 1.2.1 The New Zealand policy context 1970’s - current ...................................................... 8 1.2.2 Housing policy and social housing in New Zealand ................................................ 9 1.2.3 Government inquiries into homelessness .................................................................. 11 1.2.4 The low profile of homelessness in New Zealand .................................................. 16 1.2.5 Recent Government initiatives ..................................................................................... 18 1.3 Housing First Literature Overview ............................................................................................. 19 1.4 Aim and Research Objectives ...................................................................................................... 27 1.5 Research Structure .......................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter Two: Understanding Homelessness: A Systematic Review of Definitions, Conceptualisations and Representations of Homelessness ....................................................... 31 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 31 2.2 Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 32 2.2.1 Systematic Literature Review Purpose and Process ............................................... 32 Information Sources ............................................................................................................................. 34 2.3 Results ................................................................................................................................................. 36 2.3.1 Conceptualisations of homelessness-theoretical approaches to causation ..... 39 2.3.2 Conceptualisations
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Grieving Process During the Economic Crisis in Greece
    Journal of Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 2, No. 4, November 2014 The Grieving Process during the Economic Crisis in Greece Kotsopoulou Anastasia and Koutsompou Violetta-Irene economic crises. Its causes were: The imbalance in the U.S. Abstract—In life, people face many complicated situations economy, which was caused by: and experience a number of changes either positive or negative. 1) The relative overproduction of raw materials for In both cases, people are asked to address them, to make agricultural products which led to falling prices and decisions and to work with them in a psychological level in declining purchasing power of farmers order to accept them and enhance them in their present and future way of life. The main purpose of the presented article is 2) The overoptimistic industrial investments in areas such to reveal how Greek people experience and cope with the as automobile production and electrical appliances 2 current unpleasant economic situation in their country. The fragile global economy, due to the fact that: Through the literature review conducted here, as well as 1) The international economy was already weakened by the through everyday interaction with a large percentage of people, World War it has been proven that there is a huge difficulty in dealing with 2) American protectionism and the insistence on repayment the existing circumstances since Greeks are not able to move forward in the steps of the grieving process. of all loans that had been given to the European countries worsened the problem. Index Terms—Crisis, economy, grief, loss, survival. The chain collapse of companies and banks brought the global economic downturn.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Policy Report Unanima International
    MAY 2019 Eleftheria Photiou Jingsi (Joyce) Huang Ritika Pathak Acknowledgement Research has been supported by UNANIMA International and the Program of International Relations at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New York University. Supervisor: Professor Michael John Williams 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 SECTION: 1 5 What is Family Homelessness? 5 Definitions of Family Homelessness in Greece, the U.S. & India 5 Greece: Family Homelessness in Greece as defined by FEANTSA 5 United States: Conflicting Federal Definitions of Family Homelessness 6 India: Homelessness as defined by Census 2011 7 SECTION: 2 9 The Characteristics of Family Homelessness 9 Greece 9 United States of America 9 India 12 Root Causes of Family Homelessness 14 Greece 14 United States of America 18 India 19 SECTION: 3 21 Current policy response and strategies 21 Greece 21 United States of America 26 India 29 Good Practices 31 Greece: SolidarityNow, Women Shelters & Trauma-Informed Practices 31 United States of America: Public Libraries & Trauma-Informed Model 32 India 35 SECTION: 4 38 International Laws, Sustainable Development Goals & Family Homelessness 38 Greece 38 United States of America 40 India 42 SECTION: 5 44 Policy Recommendations 44 Greece 44 United States of America 45 India 47 Conclusions 49 ANNEX 1 50 2 Abstract Homelessness is a global epidemic, which varies in nature and characteristics among both developed and developing countries. According to a recent report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, an estimated 1.8 billion people lack proper housing. 1 This research article examines the evolution of global family homelessness critically and holistically, evaluating the causes and experiences of homeless families in three countries: Greece, the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • A Survey of Homelessness Laws
    The Forum September 2020 Is a House Always a Home?: A Survey of Homelessness Laws Marlei English J.D. Candidate, SMU Dedman School of Law, 2021; Staff Editor for the International Law Review Association Find this and additional student articles at: https://smulawjournals.org/ilra/forum/ Recommended Citation Marlei English, Is a House Always a Home?: A Survey of Homelessness Laws (2020) https://smulawjournals.org/ilra/forum/. This article is brought to you for free and open access by The Forum which is published by student editors on The International Law Review Association in conjunction with the SMU Dedman School of Law. For more information, please visit: https://smulawjournals.org/ilra/. Is a House Always a Home?: A Survey of Homelessness Laws By: Marlei English1 March 6, 2020 Homelessness is a plague that spares no country, yet not a single country has cured it. The type of legislation regarding homelessness in a country seems to correlate with the severity of its homelessness problem. The highly-variative approaches taken by each country when passing their legislation can be roughly divided into two categories: aid-based laws and criminalization laws. Analyzing how these homelessness laws affect the homeless community in each country can be an important step in understanding what can truly lead to finding the “cure” for homelessness rather than just applying temporary fixes. I. Introduction to the Homelessness Problem Homelessness is not a new issue, but it is a current, and pressing issue.2 In fact, it is estimated that at least 150 million individuals are homeless.3 That is about two percent of the population on Earth.4 Furthermore, an even larger 1.6 billion individuals may be living without adequate housing.5 While these statistics are startling, the actual number of individuals living without a home could be even larger because these are just the reported and observable numbers.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Policy Challenges for Homeless People with Mental Illness: Views of Greek Mental Health Professionals Panagiota Fitsiou and Nikos Kourachanis
    Research Notes 163 Social Policy Challenges for Homeless People with Mental Illness: Views of Greek Mental Health Professionals Panagiota Fitsiou and Nikos Kourachanis Society of Social Psychiatry and Mental Health Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences \ Abstract_ This research aims to highlight the key challenges facing housing support services for homeless people with mental illness in Greece. After an interpretative overview of the form of housing support services, the field research aims to uncover the main challenges that they face. The research findings, such as the indirect and immediate impacts of the crisis on the worsening availability of housing services for the homeless, as well as the focus on emergency practices, show that the current form of the social protec- tion system excludes these people from access to housing support. Some basic lines of reform are proposed in the conclusion. \ Keywords_ Social policy, homeless with mental illness, Greece, crisis. Introduction This research explores the key challenges facing housing support services for homeless people with mental illness in Greece during the economic crisis. This will be attempted through exploring the perceptions of Greek mental health profes- sionals. The discussion will be developed at three levels of analysis. First, through a short effort to interpret the general characteristics of housing services for this vulnerable group in Greece. Secondly, by highlighting the impact of the economic crisis on this social problem. Third, through the challenges emerging in the area of housing support services for mentally ill individuals during the economic crisis. ISSN 2030-2762 / ISSN 2030-3106 online 164 European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume 13, No.
    [Show full text]
  • Caring for the Homeless and the Poor in Greece: Implications for the Future of Social Protection and Social Inclusion»
    «Caring for the Homeless and the Poor in Greece: Implications for the Future of Social Protection and Social Inclusion» Executive Summary Arapoglou V.P., Gounis K., Assistant Professors, Department of sociology University of Crete With the assistance of Siatitsa D., PhD candidate, National Technical University of Athens Rethymno, October 2014 Acknowledgement: Research has been supported by the Hellenic Observatory at the LSE and the National Bank of Greece - Research Innovation Fund on South East Europe (NBG Research Call 2- 2013). The views expressed in this text are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Hellenic Observatory or the National Bank of Greece. The final report of the project is available upon request from the authors or the Hellenic Observatory. This is the executive summary of the report presenting findings from the study “Caring for the homeless and the poor in Greece: implications for the future of social protection and social inclusion,” which was supported by the Hellenic Observatory at the LSE and the National Bank of Greece Research Innovation Fund on South East Europe Crete. The research was carried out between November 2013 and October 2014. The aim of the research, divided into two distinct work packages, was: a) in “WP1: Mapping homelessness, shelter and service provisions in Athens,” to provide estimates of housing deprivation and homelessness and to map their spatial distribution,in connection with the services that are addressed to the affected populations, in the metropolitan region of the city of Athens; and b) in “WP2: Exploring the efficacy of existing provisions and social innovation strategies,”to highlight innovative policies to tackle homelessness, which have been introduced during the last decade in the US and Europe, and discuss the applicability of diverse forms of supported housing schemes to Greece.
    [Show full text]
  • Syn Sto Plyn” Program Overview
    Stavros Niarchos Foundation “Syn sto Plyn” Program Overview 26th May 2014 Table of Contents Introduction 6 Social Housing Overview 15 Day Centers Overview 34 Syn sto Plyn Sustainability 51 3 Important Notice This report has been prepared by Deloitte under commission by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (hereafter referred to also as the “SNF” or the “Foundation”) and presents main findings of the overall review of the“Social Housing” Program and the “Day Centers” Program (hereafter referred to also as the “Syn sto Plyn”), run by the non-profit organization Praksis and funded by SNF. The report focuses on the main outputs, outcomes and impact of the “Syn sto Plyn” program. The overall program review was based on information and data provided to Deloitte by SNF and Praksis in order to assess the performance of the Programs under a methodological frame which was discussed and mutually agreed in advance by all parties involved. Accordingly, no other purpose is intended or should be inferred as far as the use of this report is concerned. It is highlighted that Deloitte has not independently reviewed, audited or examined, in any way the information and data (including results from primary research conducted) provided by Praksis and SNF, both in written form or in the course of interviews held. Consequently, Deloitte expresses no opinion, or provide any other form of assurance or make any representation of any kind, regarding the accuracy and completeness of the enclosed data, or other information, or the reasonableness of any projections, assumptions or opinions, if any, contained in this report, nor does Deloitte assumes any responsibility or liability of any kind with respect thereto Deloitte cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions that might result from the use of the analyses contained herein.
    [Show full text]
  • Social and Spatial Dimensions of Homelessness in Athens
    Title: Social and Spatial Dimensions of Homelessness in Athens: Welfare Networks and Practices of Care Professionals By Vassilios Petrou Arapoglou The London School of Economics and Political Science 2002 Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) UMI Number: U171992 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U171992 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 POLITICAL f44£:S£-S F 961+73,0 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements go to my friends, family, and teachers for their support and advice. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all the people who gave so much of their time in interviews and to the homeless people who talked to me about some of their experiences in shelters and in institutions. To my friend Dimitris Christopoulos I owe the greatest debt because he has constantly provided support from the very beginning to the very end of the thesis and he encouraged me to continue in many difficult moments of this endeavour. Thanks go to my former colleagues in the ‘actual workplace* and particularly, to those who contributed to this research by sharing their information, linkages, and expertise: Sofia, Maria, Angeliki.
    [Show full text]
  • Homelessness Policies in Crisis Greece: the Case of the Housing and Reintegration Program Nikos Kourachanis
    Part A _ Articles 1 Homelessness Policies in Crisis Greece: The Case of the Housing and Reintegration Program Nikos Kourachanis Panteion University, Athens, Greece \ Abstract_ The article attempts to explore the planning and implementation of the Housing and Reintegration Program through semi-structured interviews, as well as its influence on the philosophy of addressing homelessness policies in Greece. After outlining the main forms of housing support, an attempt is made to correlate them with Greek policies that focus on the changes ushered in by the Housing and Reintegration Program. The empirical section evaluates the pilot implementation of the Program as well as the broader impact of the features of homeless policies. It should be noted that, despite the various omissions and ambiguities, this is the first complete intervention made by the Greek state to tackle this particular social problem. \ Key Words_ Homelessness, housing and reintegration, social policy, Greece, crisis, social exclusion Introduction This article investigates the design and implementation of the Housing and Reintegration Program, tracing its influence on homelessness policies in Greece. This will be attempted through an examination of the attitudes of the main actors involved towards the strong and weak points of the Program during its pilot imple- mentation. In order to develop the argument, the basic approaches to supported housing will initially be presented. Here an attempt will be made to link the Program to the developing European dialogue around ‘Housing-Led’ schemes. This will be ISSN 2030-2762 / ISSN 2030-3106 online first 2 European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume 11, No. 1, May 2017 followed by a discussion of the nature of social interventions for homeless people in Greece in recent decades, along with an outline of the objectives and content of the Housing and Reintegration Program.
    [Show full text]
  • 2003Review of Statistics on Homelessness in Europe
    European Observatory on Homelessness 2003Review of Statistics on Homelessness in Europe By Bill Edgar, Joe Doherty, Henk Meert November 2003 European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless European Observatory on Homelessness Review of Statistics on Homelessness in Europe Contents Why collect statistics on homelessness?........................................................................ p. 3 Measuring Homelessness ................................................................................................. p. 4 Official Sources and Methods of Data Collection........................................................... p. 8 NAPs/Incl and Developing indicators on homelessness at EU and national level .... p. 11 Statistical update on homelessness in the European Member States....................... p. 13 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... p. 25 Appendices Appendix 1 The FEANTSA definition of homelessness................................................... p. 27 Appendix 2 The European Observatory on Homelessness Correspondents.................. p. 28 Appendix 3 Homelessness Statistics by Country – sources and summary.................... p. 29 Tables Table 1 Definition of homelessness employed in primary data sources ......................... p. 5 Table 2 The domains of homelessness............................................................................ p. 6 Table 3 The operational definition of homelessness.......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Indiana Yesterday, As Well As Inches of Snow on Friday, Terry Said
    SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015 SAFAR 10, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Vet: Not enough Why a mother Warhol, Pollock, Suarez, Neymar awareness on entrusted her Rothko on humiliate need to control family to people rare display Real in 4-0 stray animals4 smugglers8 in39 Tehran ‘Clasico’20 romp Brussels on lockdown in Min 10º fear of Paris-style attack Max 23º High Tide 07:59 & 20:48 Minister wants door-to-door hunt in Molenbeek Low Tide 02:05 & 14:25 40 PAGES NO: 16705 150 FILS BRUSSELS: Brussels was on terror lockdown yesterday in fear of a Paris-style attack, with a gunman wanted KAC suspends over the deadly rampage in the French capital a week ago still on the run. The Belgian capital closed its metro Beirut flights system and shuttered shops and public buildings as a terror alert was raised to its highest level over reports of By Meshaal Al-Enezi an “imminent threat” of a gun and bomb attack similar to the horror seen in Paris. Investigators are working KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways yesterday said it was suspend- around the clock to track Brussels resident Salah ing its Beirut flights “as a precautionary measure”, but Abdeslam, one of the gunmen still on the loose after a most other flights were arriving and leaving normally, coordinated wave of attacks on Parisian nightspots that after Moscow requested airlines avoid an area over the left 130 people dead on Nov 13. eastern Mediterranean. In a precautionary measure tak- Belgium-based jihadists are increasingly at the heart en to ensure passengers’ safety, Kuwait Airways can- of the Paris investigation and police have multiplied celled four flights to and from Beirut over the past two raids in the city’s immigrant districts in a rush to stop a days.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Understandings of Homelessness in Developing Countries
    Alternative Understandings of Homelessness in Developing Countries Working paper No. 49 Dr. Suzanne Speak Global Urban Research Unit School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape [email protected] 1 Introduction This working paper focuses on urban homelessness in developing countries in a context of urban and economic policies which increasingly distance themselves from the poor and marginalise them from the urban arena. It argues that we need to find new ways to conceptualise the phenomenon of homelessness if we are to try to reduce or prevent it. In industrialised countries there has been a shift in understanding of homelessness from ‘agency’ and ‘pathology’ explanations to ‘structural’ explanations (Neale 1997). Earlier agency approaches located the causes of homelessness either in an individual’s inadequacy, for example, learning difficulty or mental health problems, or in their behaviour, such as alcohol or drug abuse. From the late 1990s the structuralist view was adopted, placing the responsibility for homelessness outside the control of the homeless person and suggests wider structural causes. It has become increasingly dominant in the theoretical debates around homelessness (Neale, 1997; Kennett and Marsh, 1999). It remains unclear whether these structural factors are a result of the failure of the housing market to provide adequate, affordable housing, or are underpinned by wider, global economic factors. However, in a context where poverty remains a critical and defining issue, it is easy to simply take a structural approach and ascribe homelessness to housing system failure or poverty. In developing countries, formal housing systems fail for all but the very few (see for example Keivani and Werna 2001 a & 2001b; Mukhija 2004) but not all people could be said to be homeless.
    [Show full text]
  • National Analytical Study on Housing
    National Analytical Study on Housing RAXEN Focal Point for Greece ANTIGONE - Information & Documentation Centre Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos October 2003 1 DISCLAIMER: This study has been compiled by the National Focal Point of the Racism and Xenophobia Network operated by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). The opinions expressed by the author/s do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the EUMC. No mention of any authority, organisation, company or individual shall imply any approval as to their standing and capability on the part of the EUMC. This study is provided by the National Focal Point as information guide only, and in particular does not constitute legal advice. 2 1.Executive summary Access to decent housing was recognised as a fundamental universal human right in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25 -1): “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well being of himself [or herself] and his [or her] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services… ”. The European Union has no common policy on housing and EU Treaties do not bring housing under the competence of the European Commission. Nevertheless, housing policy is gradually becoming an important part of the European political agenda: This trend is confirmed by significant political events, such as the Pan-European Ministers conference on “sustainable housing policies” planned for the second half of 2004 together with the significant proposal of Italy to explicitly deal with “Housing and the European integration” as a special theme at the next Housing Ministers conference in the second semester of 2003.
    [Show full text]