The paper highlights that despite growing attention to the problem, serious gaps remain in the availability of reliable data, legislative protection and sustainable housing solutions.
A global problem with systemic roots
Homelessness is a universal problem, closely linked to poverty, social inequality, lack of access to health care and social protection. Yet, as the report notes, the world remains dominated by the misconception that homelessness is the result of personal failure rather than systemic failures. Such prejudices make it difficult for public support for assistance programmes and long-term solutions.
The report recognises the diversity of manifestations and lived realities of homelessness in different regions and situations. According to the Institute on Global Homelessness, 78 countries have official government reporting, but only 24 collect data beyond counting people sleeping on the street. This limits the understanding of the extent and diversity of homelessness.
Homelessness cannot be fully understood if it is perceived only as homelessness in the physical sense, the report notes. Such experiences also entail a loss of security, stability and social connections, which many people who are homeless identify as a major challenge to their situation.
The national census of homeless people in Chile, in cooperation with civil society, covering 185 municipalities, and an improved census methodology in Latvia, with a focus on better reflecting the diversity of living situations, are cited as examples of good practice. In Colombia, regional street censuses every five years help the State to shape targeted social policies. However, the UN emphasises the importance of involving people with experience of homelessness themselves in the data collection process.
Criminalisation and stigma
Criminalisation of homelessness remains one of the most acute problems. The UK, for example, has announced the impending repeal of the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, a major step forward. However, a number of countries retain laws that penalise sleeping in the open or staying in public places. Experts say such measures perpetuate cycles of poverty and exclusion.
The UN urges governments to tackle not only legal restrictions but also social prejudice. National programmes, such as India’s Housing for All initiative, recognise the contribution of homeless people to the urban economy and help reduce stigma.
From emergency measures to long-term strategies
The report highlights: emergency shelters are a necessary measure, but such programmes do not offer a long-term sustainable solution. Countries that have managed to integrate housing policy and social protection have achieved better results. In Canada, for example, the “Finding Home” strategy has enabled support and redistribution of resources at the community level, while in Viet Nam, housing programmes are combined with educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for vulnerable groups.
Successful examples include the Solibay programme in France and Provivienda in Spain, which mobilises private housing stock for those in need through NGOs and others. In Barcelona, housing is also provided in conjunction with health and social services.
In Mongolia, the “Road to Home” programme focuses on prevention and early intervention measures to prevent chronic homelessness from developing, involving the Mayor’s Office, the Governor’s Office and the Social Welfare Department of Ulaanbaatar, the police, labour authorities at the city and district levels, as well as educational institutions, health organizations, the private sector and NGOs.
Vulnerable groups: women, the elderly and minorities
The report pays particular attention to vulnerable categories. The causes and experiences of homelessness are determined not only by economic pressures, but also by forms of structural inequality and exclusion, the authors emphasise. Women, for example, face the risk of eviction due to discriminatory inheritance norms and limited access to property rights. Older people, especially women and minorities, are at risk due to rising prices and low incomes. Young people, including the LGBTIQ+ community, are often excluded from housing policies and face a lack of specialised shelters and support programmes. A major gap is the lack of organised housing and support for young people leaving state care.
People with disabilities, in particular its psychosocial forms, are particularly vulnerable to long-term isolation and often face barriers in confirming eligibility for assistance with housing and interacting with institutions. The report also identified indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, migrants, internally displaced persons and stateless persons, as well as people in informal employment without social protection, as vulnerable groups.
Recommendations of the Secretary-General
The UN Secretary-General in his report calls for:
- Promote inclusive responses;
- develop coordinated national strategies through cross-sectoral co-operation;
- improve data collection and analysis systems;
- include people affected by homelessness in decision-making;
- ensure a shift from emergency measures to sustainable housing solutions;
- end criminalisation and stigma.
The UN emphasises that homelessness is a systemic challenge, not an individual one, and that an effective response is only possible through a comprehensive, human rights-based approach.