Homelessness takes many forms, yet it affects people in every country and community. Despite its global reach, the lack of a universal definition, reliable data, and targeted, preventive strategies operates as a major barrier to ending homelessness. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) do not directly include homelessness, representing a critical gap in the global goals. Therefore, there is a pressing need to strengthen solutions through a clear, inclusive, and standardized definition of the homelessness.
The Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH) developed the Global Framework on Homelessness, a product of a collaboration from researchers, policy experts, and on-the-ground leaders from six continents. This typology includes a common characterization of homelessness, “lacking access to minimally adequate housing,” while also describing the various housing situations that fall within this definition. A country or city can determine which of these categories to include in its local definition of homelessness.
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By allowing us to meaningfully discuss homelessness and laying the foundation for measurement, this Global Framework helps us understand where efforts to address homelessness are succeeding. Defining the problem is a step toward informed, focused, and measurable action to end homelessness.
The three categories of IGH Framework helped inform the United Nations’s description of homelessness (2021) which characterizes this problem as more than the lack of physical housing since it also “compromises” people’s social relationships and includes individuals “living on the streets, in other open spaces or in buildings not intended for human habitation, people living in temporary accommodation or shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and, in accordance with national legislation, may include, among others, people living in severely inadequate accommodation without security of tenure and access to basic services.”
How did IGH develop the Framework?
To ensure the Framework resonated globally, IGH enlisted three international homelessness experts to guide the process. Professors Volker Busch-Geertsema, Dennis Culhane, and Suzanne Fitzpatrick agreed to draft the Framework and gather feedback.
Luckily, they had a head start. Excellent research has been done on this question, both on a regional level and a global scale. For example, FEANTSA in Europe and the European Observatory on Homelessness (EOH) developed the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS) to capture the various shapes of homelessness in Europe.
Globally, researchers Graham Tipple and Suzanne Speak have written extensively on homelessness in the developing world, including the book The Hidden Millions: Homelessness in Developing Countries. At the country level, Professors Busch-Geertsema, Culhane, and Fitzpatrick compiled articles and policy papers from across the world.
In June 2015, 100 thought leaders gathered in Chicago to discuss homelessness in their home countries and give input toward the draft version of the Framework. Presentations explored Thailand, the Philippines, Russia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, China, Korea, India, and the European Union. Additional feedback came from attendees from Belgium, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Puerto Rico, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, the USA, and Wales. We are immensely grateful to the leaders who shared their time and expertise.
How does the Framework help end homelessness?
Having a shared vocabulary enables meaningful collaboration across countries, preventing misunderstandings and miscommunication. Before the Framework was established, the lack of a common definition often resulted in time spent debating the meaning of homelessness rather than focusing on solutions.
“The reason why we are focused on a common understanding of homelessness is because it is central to having any kind of meaningful dialogue about homelessness—not just amongst researchers but also between policy-makers, practitioners, and others interested in homelessness,” said Fitzpatrick.
Additionally, the Framework provides a foundation for measuring and assessing the various dimensions of homelessness globally. While some countries do collect data, their methodologies and definitions often differ in scope and criteria, making comparisons difficult. The IGH Framework enables countries to track and meaningfully compare certain types of homelessness, even if their broader definitions vary. In many places, however, homelessness remains unmeasured, leaving the issue largely invisible to policymakers.
“A global estimate of homelessness… is important for a worldwide initiative to address the problem, and to have numbers. Numbers drive investment,” said Busch-Geertsema.
Finally, and most importantly, having a common vocabulary and ability to assess the dimensions of homelessness will set the foundation for new action to reduce those numbers globally.
Advancing an International Definition of Homelessness
IGH will continue collaborating with cities and countries to advance the use of a clear and comprehensive definition as a tool for guiding and evaluating efforts to address homelessness. The IGH Framework, in complement to practical resources, can help communities better understand the scope and nature of homelessness in their context. These categories serve as a foundation for developing concrete goals to reduce homelessness, sharing effective practice, creating space for mutual learning across countries, and mobilizing global, targeted action.
At the global level, IGH will advance its work with the United Nations to include homelessness in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and establish a shared definition of homelessness that reflects its diverse realities and helps unify responses across regions and sectors.