Homeless Pages - Subject: Homelessness

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Homelessness

Homelessness legislation brought into force since the 1970s includes legal definitions of homelessness and gives local authorities responsibility to house those homeless people deemed to be in priority need. These definitions usually exclude most homeless people without dependents from a statutory right to be housed. The government only systematically collects statistics on those homeless people who have applied to local authorities for help - usually families with children and others deemed to be especially vulnerable. Government figures, therefore, do not include overall figures on the number of single homeless people.

Apart from legal definitions of homelessness, a broad general definition is often taken to include people who are either literally "roofless" or who experience hidden homelessness, ie are forced to live in insecure, overcrowded, dangerous, illegal or very temporary accommodation (eg bed and breakfast hotels, women's refuges, hostels, friend's/relative's floors, and squats).

Government initiatives have significantly reduced the number of rough sleepers. The Homelessness Act 2002 forms the basis of the government's approach and local authority homelessness strategies underpin local action to tackle homelessness in the UK.

Homeless Pages contains a large number of resources on homelessness, including many books, reports, periodicals and leaflets published by the major homelessness organisations. Lost Property: Tackling Homelessness in the UK provides a useful overview of homelessness. Homelessness Factfile provides information about the numbers, characteristics and experiences of homeless people, pathways into homelessness, and homelessness services. All about Homelessness is an introduction to homelessness in England. Bricks without Mortar provides an overview of the history of homelessness in England over the past 30 years.

Those resources listed here that are entirely devoted to or have a significant focus on single or family homelessness issues can be selected by using the keywords Single homelessness and Family homelessness.

Relevant Organisations:
Communities and Local Government
Council for the Homeless (Northern Ireland)
Crisis
East London Housing Partnership
Homeless Link
Housing Justice
Housing Rights Service
London Housing Foundation
Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Resource Information Service
Scottish Council for Single Homeless
Shelter
Shelter Cymru
Shelter Scotland