To be homeless means lacking stable, safe, and permanent housing or the immediate means and ability to acquire it. Homelessness is not just about not having a roof over one's head; it includes a range of living situations from living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation to being temporarily sheltered or insecurely housed. It is generally caused by systemic barriers, lack of affordable housing, individual or household challenges, and often involves stressful, unsafe, and unhealthy conditions. People experiencing homelessness may live unsheltered, in emergency shelters, provisionally accommodated, or be at risk of homelessness due to insecure or inadequate housing situations. The experience also involves social exclusion and a loss of social connection, not just physical shelter deprivation.
