Homelessness: Data, Prevalence and Features

Homelessness and precarious living conditions are critical issues among the urban poor and represent a significant policy concern in several industrialized countries. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have increased the prevalence of people living in inadequate shelter due to sudden income shocks. However, publicly available data on the global homeless population are extremely rare. In this book, the authors first compile a newly created database that includes data on homeless populations in various countries and cities in Europe, Australia, and the United States. They then shed light on the relationship between a country's institutional characteristics and the size of its homeless population: countries with higher rates of homelessness are those that have experienced a greater increase in inequality and a higher proportion of migrants. Second, the authors present and discuss the results of survey data collected among homeless people in three cities in Italy. Their findings show that a significant majority of the homeless are divorced men in the middle phase of their lives, with unemployment and family breakdown as the primary reasons for their homeless status