What causes homelessness?

Many people view homelessness as the result of personal failings, and consider that if the economy is going well, there is no excuse for not getting on.

But this belief is belied by the facts, which show that homelessness is caused by a complex interplay between a person's individual circumstances and adverse 'structural' factors outside their direct control.

These problems can build up over years until the final crisis moment when a person becomes homeless.

Structural causes of homelessness are social and economic in nature, and are often outside the control of the individual or family concerned.

• Unemployment
•  Poverty
•  A  lack of affordable housing
•  Housing policies
• The structure and administration of housing benefit
• Wider policy developments, such as the closure of long-stay psychiatric hospitals

 Source images: 
ljkim, (2010).City fellowship union square NYC . Recovered may 28, 2015. What causes things like homelessness: http://www.cityfellowship.com/2010/12/

Written by: 

Cristhian Zambrano