Glossary

Define Homenessness

Social Worker and Director of Rebeccas Community, Mr. Dominic Mapstone:

"Homelessness is an inadequate experience of connectedness with family and or community."

USA

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, Section 725, defines "homeless children and youths" as follows:

Homeless Children and Youths

(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (within the meaning of section 103(a)(1)); and

(B) includes—

children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;

(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));

(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses through (iii).

Australia

Supported Accommodation Assistance Program Act 1994

Homeless

A person is homeless if, and only if, he or she has inadequate access to safe and secure housing.

Ireland - Dublin

A legal definition of the Homeless is contained in Section 2 of the 1988 Housing Act.

Homeless

A person is defined as homeless if:

(a) there is no accommodation available for him/her, together with any other person who normally resides with him/her or who might reasonably expect to reside with him/her, which he/she can reasonably occupy or remain in occupation of or,

(b) He/she is living in a Hospital, county home, night shelter or such institution and is so living because he/she has no accommodation and he/she is unable to provide accommodation from his/her own resources.

Sweeden - Stockholm

Homeless Person

One who does not have his/her own dwelling or is not living in someone else's home permanently and must resort to living in temporary placements

Person who lives on the streets

Person living in an institution or shelter and who does not have a place in which to reside at point of discharge

United Kingdom - London

A statutory definition included in Section 175, 1966 House Act this section defines people being homeless if they:

Homeless Person

Have no accommodation in the UK / elsewhere

Cannot secure entry to accommodation

Are threatened with homelessness within the next 28 days

Have no accommodation which is reasonable for them to occupy