Who to contact if you are homeless
About Homelessness
Causes of Homelessness
There is no simple explanation for why a person becomes homeless.
In the past, homelessness was seen as an individual problem caused by personal difficulties. Now, it is recognised that structural issues — social and economic factors — such as poverty, unemployment and housing shortages contribute to homelessness. The failure of these factors creates pathways into homelessness.
In working to end long-term homelessness and rough sleeping, we need to take into account both individual and structural factors. Including both sets of factors contributes to an appropriate and concerted response that meets the needs of an individual and addresses the long-term causes of the problem.
On an individual level, a crisis in someone’s life often triggers homelessness. Structural factors put individuals at greater risk when a crisis occurs.
The individual factors are low income, rent or mortgage payments, debt, unemployment, family breakdown, social or alcohol exclusion, mental health problems, drug or alcohol misuse, difficulties with sexual orientation and poor physical health.
The economic and social factors are a shortage of suitable or affordable housing, availability of employment, levels of poverty and security, trends in relationship breakdown and family restructuring. The events that can trigger homelessness include leaving the family home after an argument, relationship breakdown, widowhood, leaving care, leaving prison and eviction.
The economic and social factors are shortages of suitable or affordable housing, availability of employment, levels of poverty and security and trends in relationship breakdown.