unhoused

Unhoused refers to people who lack stable, safe, and adequate housing. It is person-first language used to describe housing status without labeling a person by poverty or marginalization. Unhoused individuals may sleep outdoors, stay in shelters, or move between temporary arrangements.

Forms include unsheltered arrangements (outdoors or in vehicles), sheltered arrangements (emergency or transitional shelters), and precarious housing (doubled up, couch surfing, or unstable subsidized housing).

Causes are complex and interrelated. Key drivers include housing shortages, unaffordable rents, low incomes, unemployment, disability, chronic illness, mental health challenges, substance use, and family or intimate-partner violence. Structural discrimination and historical inequities also contribute.

Scope varies by region and time. In many places, adults are most represented, with families with children and unaccompanied youth also affected. Economic cycles and policy changes shape patterns.

Unhoused individuals face health risks, limited access to care, safety concerns, food insecurity, and barriers to employment and education.

Responses include shelters, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and prevention measures. Housing-first approaches prioritize stable housing as a platform for addressing health and social needs.

Data come from counts, surveys, and service records, but definitions and methods vary by jurisdiction. Counting unsheltered individuals is difficult due to mobility and safety concerns, so figures are estimates.