Defining homelessness is the act of specifying who is considered homeless in a particular region. Homelessness definitions are important since, among other things, they shape policy priorities, determine who will be eligible for public assistance, and establish the conceptual framework that people use to understand homelessness in their communities.
Given the challenges associated with defining global homelessness, some organizations and researchers have developed typologies and frameworks in hopes that a common point of reference will help facilitate collective learning among countries, establish a common language around homelessness, and strengthen the validity of cross-national homelessness data comparisons.
