The homeless are given permanent housing on a normal lease. That can range from a self-contained apartment to a housing block with round-the-clock support. Tenants pay rent and are entitled to receive housing benefits. Depending on their income, they may contribute to the cost of the support services they receive.
Homelessness is on the rise, and too often, solutions are short-term remedies, at best. However, innovative approaches to fixing the root causes of homelessness are showing signs of success.
Urgent efforts to provide housing for the homeless are sparking innovation. Projects around the world are devising low-cost solutions and changing lives.
Homelessness statistics around the world What it means to be homeless is different for everyone and depends on where you are in the world, so country comparisons can be difficult.
Authors of new research from the University of Calgary explain why integrating services for the homeless doesn't automatically equal better outcomes, and can in fact add more layers of bureaucracy to an already confusing ecosystem.
100 million people are homeless around the world, the UN estimates. The death of a man in the Netherlands prompted a young designer to act. Bas Timmer put his outerwear business on hold to set up the Sheltersuit Foundation. Six years on, it has made 12,500 warm, waterproof suits for homeless people and refugees.
50 homeless people in Vancouver received a one-time direct payment which saw them move into stable housing faster, achieve greater food security and retain savings.
More than 400 homeless people in the United Kingdom have been helped by social enterprise Beam.org, receiving new access to training thanks to the organization.
