Homelessness in the European Union

In this chapter, I provide an overview of homeless ness in the ED in the context of the ED's concern with social cohesion and exclusion. I look at: the definition and nature of homelessness; the extent of homelessness; explanations of homelessness; the characteristics of homeless people and trends in the homeless population; and rights and services for the homeless. The main theme of the chapter is to identify similarities and distinctions in the national homelessness situations across the ED. There is a particular focus on the quite different ways in which homelessness is conceptualised and explained in different countries, and whether these distinctions reflect genuine differences in the phenomenon or simply different political and scientific perspectives. The chapter ends with a discussion of the implications of this analysis for the role of the ED in tackling homelessness in the member states.