Homelessness facts for kids
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Homelessness means not having a safe, stable, and proper home. This can mean living on the streets or moving often between temporary places. These temporary places might be friends' houses, hotels, or emergency shelters.
It is important to remember that homelessness and poverty are often connected. Counting the exact number of people without homes is hard. Most cities only have estimates of how many people are affected.
In the past, people who traveled without a home were called "vagrants," "hobos," or "tramps." Today, these words are often seen as disrespectful.
Contents
United Nations definition
In 2004, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs defined a homeless household as those households without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters due to a lack of a steady income. The affected people carry their few possessions with them, sleeping in the streets, in doorways or on piers, or in another space, on a more or less random basis.
In 2009, at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Conference of European Statisticians (CES), the Group of Experts on Population and Housing Censuses defined homelessness as:
In its Recommendations for the Censuses of Population and Housing, the CES identifies homeless people under two broad groups:
- Primary homelessness: this category includes persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters
- Secondary homelessness: this category may include persons with no place of usual residence who move frequently between various types of accommodations (including dwellings, shelters, and institutions for the homeless or other living quarters). This category includes persons living in private dwellings but reporting 'no usual address' on their census form.
The CES acknowledges that the above approach does not provide a full definition of the 'homeless'.
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 10 December 1948 by the UN General Assembly, contains this text regarding housing and quality of living:
1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Around the world, the way "homelessness" is defined can be different. Some countries do not even have an official definition.
Understanding Different Terms
Sometimes, you might hear different words to describe people without homes. These include unsheltered homeless, unhoused, or houseless. It is best to use "people experiencing homelessness" or "people without homes." This helps us remember that they are individuals, not just a group.
Some people without homes might stay in abandoned buildings, which is called squatting. Others might find shelter in natural areas like mountains or near rivers.
During very cold weather, some communities open warming centers. These places, often in churches, offer a safe and warm spot for a short time. They can save lives.
A Look at History
Homelessness has been a challenge for a very long time. In the past, people without homes were often punished.
Early History and the 1800s
In England, laws in the 1300s allowed officials to arrest people who wandered without a home. They faced punishments like being put in jail or forced to work. Later, places called "bridewells" and "workhouses" were created. These aimed to offer housing or training instead of just punishment.
In the United States, after 1870, many men without homes traveled by train looking for work. The first rescue mission in the U.S. opened in New York City in 1872. More missions started to appear as people became more concerned about social issues.
Modern Times: The 1900s and Beyond
The Great Depression in the 1930s caused many people in the U.S. to lose their homes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the New Deal program. This program helped by building public housing and offering social support.
Books like The People of the Abyss in 1903 helped people understand the challenges of homelessness. In many cities, there were areas known for having many people without homes.
In the 1960s, the number of people sleeping on the streets in the United Kingdom grew. Governments later started programs to help, like increasing shelter spaces.
In the 1990s, an economic crisis in North Korea led many families to leave their homes. Some children, called Kotjebi, ended up without families in other countries.
In the 2000s, more children and families in the U.S. faced homelessness. Many cities started "Housing First" programs. These programs offer housing to people without requiring them to pass certain tests first. This approach helps people get stable housing, which can then help them address other challenges.
By 2023, homelessness numbers in the U.S. rose, even higher than during the 2007 Great Recession. This was partly due to protection programs ending and the rising cost of living. In 2024, the United States Supreme Court allowed cities to make it illegal for people to set up camps in public places, even if no other shelter was available.
What Causes Homelessness?
Many different things can lead to someone losing their home.
Housing Costs and Eviction
When a neighborhood becomes popular and house prices go up, it's called Gentrification. This can make it hard for people with less money to afford their homes, sometimes forcing them to move.
Sometimes, governments need land for new buildings or roads. If people are forced to leave their homes and don't get enough money to find a new place, they can become homeless.
Losing a home because of foreclosure (when a bank takes a house because mortgage payments weren't made) can also lead to homelessness.
Economic Challenges
Not having a job that pays enough to cover basic needs, or a lack of affordable homes, can lead to poverty and homelessness. Losing a job, having debts, or losing money due to family changes can also make it hard to keep a home.
Access to healthcare and social support is also very important. Without these, it can be harder for people to stay healthy enough to work and keep their homes.
Health and Well-being
Homelessness is closely linked to health problems. People without homes often face more physical and mental health challenges. They may also have disabilities or other health issues.
It can be hard for people without homes to get the medical care they need. This is because they might not have identification or a stable place to store medicines.
Some disabilities, like a Traumatic brain injury, can make it difficult to work and pay for housing. Mental health challenges can also make it harder to keep a home if support services are not available.
Unfair Treatment
Men are more often affected by homelessness in the United States. Also, people from non-white backgrounds are more likely to experience homelessness.
Unsafe situations at home, like being hurt by others, can force women to leave and become homeless. Women without homes often face more dangers on the streets.
Unfair treatment based on who someone is or how they express themselves can also lead to homelessness. For example, young people might be forced out of their homes by family members.
Disasters and Conflict
Natural disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes can destroy homes and leave many people without shelter. For example, the 1999 Athens earthquake left many middle-class people homeless in Greece.
War and conflict also force millions of people to leave their homes. The Syrian civil war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have caused millions to become displaced. These individuals often struggle to find safe places to live, food, and medical care.
Leaving Foster Care
Young people leaving foster care are more likely to become homeless. They often lack support and income, making it hard to find a stable home.
Personal Choices
While rare, some people choose to live without a permanent home.
Childhood Experiences
Research shows that certain experiences in childhood can make someone more likely to face homelessness later. Moving around a lot as a child can cause stress and make it harder to form stable connections. Bad experiences when they were young can also affect a person's ability to build relationships and make good decisions.
Daily Challenges of Homelessness
People without homes face many difficulties every day.
- Finding places to stay clean and use restrooms.
- Dealing with unfriendly public attitudes and laws against sleeping in public.
- Washing and drying clothes.
- Finding, preparing, and storing food.
- Staying in touch with family, friends, or support services without a permanent address.
- Managing health problems, which can get worse without access to treatment or a place to store medicines.
- Finding a safe, quiet, and private place to sleep or bathe.
- Keeping belongings safe, as they often have to carry everything they own.
People experiencing homelessness also face:
- Being treated unfairly by others.
- A higher risk of violence.
- Limited chances for education.
- Difficulty getting jobs.
- Problems with banking services or using phones and computers.
- Limited access to doctors and dentists.
- Being pushed out of public spaces by city designs.
- Difficulty trusting services or other people, especially if they have been homeless for a long time.
Sometimes, people who work at shelters have been found to misuse resources. People without homes often try to act in ways that keep their dignity, but this can lead to others being suspicious of them.
Homelessness can also lead to feelings of sadness, especially if someone used to have negative ideas about people without homes and then becomes homeless themselves.
Some cities use "hostile architecture" like spikes or uncomfortable benches to stop people from sleeping in public areas.
Healthcare for People Without Homes
Getting healthcare is a big challenge for people without homes. They often have more health problems than others, including long-term illnesses, breathing issues, and mental health challenges.
Poor nutrition, exposure to bad weather, and violence can lead to injuries and medical problems. It is hard for them to get medical help because they might not have ID or be registered for services. Treating mental health challenges is also difficult because appointments might be missed.
Specialized medical care has developed for this group. Skin conditions, foot problems, and dental issues are common. Untreated Diabetes is also widespread. Diseases like tuberculosis can spread easily in crowded shelters.
Studies show that older people without homes often have more health problems than younger ones. They may experience more falls, weakness, and sadness.
In the U.S., programs like the Bureau of Primary Health Care provide grants to help deliver healthcare to people without homes. Many non-profit and religious groups also offer medical services.
Sadly, many people without homes have died from hypothermia (being too cold). This has led to more warming centers being created.
How Homelessness Affects Life Expectancy
Studies have shown that people without homes often live much shorter lives. In the U.S., their death rates can be four times higher than the general population. In the U.K., people without homes live about 30 years less than others, with an average life expectancy of 47 years.
Health Impacts of Extreme Weather
People without homes are much more at risk from extreme weather like heatwaves, cold snaps, floods, and storms. Even though they contribute very little to climate change, they suffer its effects the most.
They have higher rates of long-term illnesses and less access to food, water, and healthcare. They often live in city areas that get hotter and have little protection from the elements. They are also often left out of disaster plans.
Extreme weather can make existing health problems much worse. It can also cause new issues like sunburn, dehydration, heat stroke, and allergic reactions. Mental health can also be affected by lack of sleep and stress from the weather.
Case Study: Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S., especially New Orleans. It was a very deadly storm, causing over 1,600 deaths. The hurricane greatly increased the number of people without homes in New Orleans. It also led to more mental health challenges in the affected areas.
Legal Documents
It can be very hard for people without homes to get important documents like birth certificates or photo IDs. They often lose their belongings, including these papers. Without an ID, it's hard to get a job or access many services, including healthcare.
Getting replacement documents is difficult. Without an address, birth certificates cannot be mailed. Fees can be too expensive. Some states even require a photo ID to get a birth certificate, creating a tricky situation.
Homelessness Around the World
The number of homeless people worldwide grew steadily in 2005. In some developing countries such as Nigeria and South Africa, homelessness is rampant, with millions of children living and working on the streets. Homelessness has become a problem in the countries of China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines despite their growing prosperity, partly due to migrant workers who have trouble finding permanent homes.
Determining the true number of homeless people worldwide varies between 100 million and one billion people based on the exact definition used. Refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons can also be considered homeless in that they, too, experience "marginalization, minority status, socioeconomic disadvantage, poor physical health, the collapse of social supports, psychological distress, and difficulty adapting to host cultures" such as the domestic homeless.
In western countries such as the United States, the typical homeless person is male and single, with the Netherlands reporting 80 percent of homeless people aged 18–65 to be men. Some cities have particularly high percentages of males in homeless populations, with men comprising 85 percent of the homeless in Dublin, Ireland. Non-white people are also overrepresented in homeless populations, with such groups two and one-half times more likely to be homeless in the U.S. The median age of homeless people is approximately 35.
The following statistics indicate the approximate average number of homeless people at any one time. Each country has a different approach to counting homeless people, and estimates of homelessness made by different organizations vary wildly, so comparisons should be made with caution.
- European Union: 3,000,000 (UN-HABITAT 2004)
- England: 11,580 single households were assessed as rough sleeping at the point of approach in 2021, up 39 percent from 2019–20, with 119,400 households owed a prevention duty in 2020–21
- Scotland: 27,571 households were assessed as homeless in 2020 – 21, a decrease of 13 percent compared to 2019/20
- Canada: 150,000
- Australia: On census night in 2006 there were 105,000 people homeless across Australia, an increase from the 99,900 Australians who were counted as homeless in the 2001 census
- United States: The HUD 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress reports that in a single night, roughly 553,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States.
- Japan: 20,000–100,000 (some figures put it at 200,000–400,000). Reports show that homelessness is on the rise in Japan since the mid-1990s. There are more homeless men than homeless women in Japan because it is usually easier for women to get a job and they are less isolated than men. Also, Japanese families usually provide more support for women than they do for men.
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Where Do People Find Shelter?
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People without homes find shelter in many different places.
- Homeless shelters: These can be emergency shelters, especially in cold weather, or more organized places with recreation areas and laundry.
- Public places: Parks, bus stations, libraries, airports, and 24-hour businesses are sometimes used. However, security often prevents people from staying long.
- Outdoors: Many sleep on the ground, in sleeping bags, tents, or improvised shelters under bridges or in parks.
- Tunnels: Abandoned subway or maintenance tunnels are sometimes used by people called "Mole People."
- Couch surfing: This means staying temporarily with friends or family. These individuals are often harder to count.
- Vehicles: Cars, vans, or RVs are used as temporary or long-term homes. Some cities have "safe parking" programs.
- Single Room Occupancy (SRO): These are small, furnished rooms in buildings where people share kitchens or bathrooms.
- Internet cafes and fast-food restaurants: In Japan, China, and Hong Kong, some people sleep overnight in 24-hour internet cafes or McDonald's.
- Tent cities: These are temporary camps of tents and makeshift shelters, often near industrial areas.
- Boarding houses and motels: Inexpensive places offer cheap, temporary lodging.
- Shantytowns: These are areas with improvised shelters and shacks, often near transportation routes.
- Squatting: Living in an empty building without permission.
Other Housing Options
- Transitional housing: This provides temporary housing and support services to help people move into permanent homes.
- Foyers: These are special transitional homes for young people at risk, offering housing, support, and training.
- Supportive housing: This combines housing with services for people facing complex challenges, like very low income or serious health conditions.
- Government initiatives: Some governments build special apartments with support services for people who have been sleeping rough.
Help and Resources
Many countries offer services to help people without homes. These include food, shelter, and clothing, often run by community groups, volunteers, or government departments.
Community Support
People without homes sometimes form their own communities and support each other. Others who have homes also offer friendship and help, often through charities or religious groups.
Finding Work
The United States Department of Labor has programs to help people without homes find jobs and training. This helps them become more independent.
Other Ways to Earn Money
- Recycling: Some people collect bottles and cans to return for money.
- Street newspapers: These are newspapers sold by people without homes. Selling them helps them earn money and connect with their community.
Healthcare Support
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the U.S. has helped more people without homes get healthcare. Organizations like the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program offer medical services specifically for this group.
Housing Solutions
Permanent supportive housing programs have been shown to help people stay in stable homes for a long time.
Savings from Housing People Without Homes
Studies in the U.S. have shown that it can be cheaper to provide permanent housing and support for people without homes than to pay for their arrests, jail stays, and emergency room visits. For example, a 2013 study in Central Florida found that housing a chronically homeless person cost about $10,051 per year, while not housing them cost $31,000 per year.
New Ideas for Housing
Cities like Los Angeles are looking for new ways to build affordable housing quickly. Ideas include using pre-made panels, stackable houses, or converting garages into small apartments. One building in Los Angeles is even being made from repurposed shipping containers.
Making a Difference Through Action
Voting is important for people without homes to have their voices heard. Many community groups and movements work to reduce homelessness. They aim to change stereotypes and ensure that the needs of people without homes are understood by leaders.
Support for Veterans
Many organizations help veterans who are without homes. Programs like HUD-VASH (Veterans Administration Supported Housing) provide housing vouchers and support. The Department of Labor also has programs to help veterans find jobs.
Interesting Facts about Homelessness
- In 2025, approximately 330 million people worldwide experience absolute homelessness, lacking any form of shelter.
- India has the largest number of street children in the world, with 18 million.
- There are about 4.5 million people without homes in the Philippines, with three million in Manila alone.
- In Australia, government programs like the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) help people without homes. They provide shelters and support services.
- In the U.S., the number of people without homes rose to about 771,400 in 2024.
Related pages
- Refugee
- Poverty
- Discrimination
- Internally displaced person
- Right to housing
- Warming center
Images for kids
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Homeless child and adult living on the streets
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Homeless man sleeping in London, 2015
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Street child in Kenya
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Refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2013
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Homeless shelter in Poznan, Poland
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Number of homeless in England per 100,000 people, 1998–2014
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A woman giving a homeless man food in New York City, United States (2008)
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Skid Row, Los Angeles contains one of the largest stable populations, between 5,000 and 8,000, of homeless people in the United States.
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A homeless person's shelter under a fallen willow tree in Australia
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Abandoned transient encampment in Mawson, ACT
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Homeless people sleeping outside in Yekaterinburg
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A street bench in Kitsilano, British Columbia, Canada, with a snowman depicting a homeless person
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A person without a home resting on the roadside in India.
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See also
In Spanish: Sinhogarismo para niños
