Homelessness is one the of the most extreme forms of poverty and, while it is a visible problem worldwide, it is largely overlooked by many. The book explores this critical issue, exploring available statistics and offering insights from the latest economic research.
Despite growing inequality, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other socio-eco-nomic shocks that have deepened vulnerability, reliable data on homelessness remain elusive. This book presents innovative research, that provides a comprehensive dataset on homeless pop-ulations across 36 countries and 123 cities across Europe. Through empirical analysis, the authors identify the structural, economic, and social factors associated with homelessness and highlight the urgent need for policy reform. Drawing on point-in-time counts and in-depth interviews with homeless people in Italy, the authors have been able to define the typical profile of those homeless. Ideal for students, academics, policy makers, and advocates alike, this book serves as a critical resource for those seeking to understand the deep-rooted complexities behind one of society’s most pressing issues. This book provides data-driven insights that will inform policy and shape future research to tackle and reduce homelessness on a global scale.