Comparative Analysis of Poverty and Homelessness: An Essay

This essay examines the multifaceted issue of poverty and homelessness, highlighting its global prevalence and diverse causes. It differentiates between the situations in developed and developing countries, emphasizing the role of economic status, family conflict, and housing supply. The essay explores the challenges in defining and measuring homelessness, including definitional variations, resource limitations, and reluctance from those affected to be enumerated. It further analyzes the vulnerability of specific groups like women and children, as well as street children, who are often escaping abuse or poverty. The essay concludes by advocating for non-punitive approaches, suggesting the abolition of laws criminalizing street sleeping and focusing on providing solutions through adequate and affordable accommodation. The author also emphasizes the need for international cooperation and learning from different cultures and countries to address this growing social and economic problem.

Poverty and Homelessness
Homelessness is evolving into a national and international crisis. Within developed countries, homeless
rates are now believed to approximate 1% of most urban populations. While Poverty and social
exclusion are key causes of homelessness across developed nations this is not in the case in developing
nations(Watson, L. and Cooper, R,1992)
Although poverty might not be directly related to homelessness there is a high correlation. A research
examined countries by economic status, poverty was the main reason for youth homelessness in
developing countries and family conflict was the main reason in developed countries.
While delinquency is often blamed for youth homelessness, only 10 percent of participants said that was
what caused them to be homeless. It was the least-cited reason.
In developed nations homeless people as unemployed, drunks, criminals, mentally ill or personally
inadequate is inappropriate. In developing countries homelessness is largely a result of the failure of the
housing supply system to address the needs of the rapidly growing urban population
A study by CARDO* in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, at the University if Newcastle
that homeless people:
 Are generally employed in low wage unskilled jobs
 Are victims of war or violence at a point of their livelihood.
 Have migrated to urban settlements to escape the poverty back at their rural
For me homelessness despite been a very familiar fate around the world the causes are particularly very
distinct, especially on comparison with western countries. Hence International welfare foundations
should ideally address the issue on different context in relation to society.
My argument is that while some informal settlements may provide such poor accommodation that their
denizens should be regarded as homeless, others clearly do not. The most important aspect for
differentiating between those who are merely inadequately housed and homeless people appears to be
whether or not the place allows its occupants to be on an improving trajectory. (Springer S 2000)
Having an accurate figure of homelessness globally is challenging for several reasons. First of all, and
perhaps most problematic, is variations in definitions. Homelessness can vary from simply the absence
of adequate living quarters or rough sleeping to include the lack of a permanent residence that provides
roots, security, identity and emotional wellbeing. The absence of an internationally agreed upon
definition of homelessness hampers meaningful comparisons. (FEANTSA,1999)

Second, many governments lack resources and commitment to measure the complicated and elusive
phenomenon. Authorities confront a dynamic situation with frequent changes in housing status, and
many communities have not established accurate trends of homelessness. This at times has very
significant political reasons.
Third, homelessness and poverty are often considered embarrassing, a taboo subject, and governments
tend to understate the problem. (Lajoie, R 1998) Obtaining accurate numbers is difficult, especially in
developing countries.
Fourth, many of the homeless are reluctant to be enumerated or registered. Homeless youth often
avoid authorities who may contact parents or place them in foster care. Some parents may not wish to
be labeled as homeless out of fear of losing custody of children. Also, some homeless persons, especially
those suffering from mental disorders or substance abuse, fear arrest or confinement at a medical
facility for treatment.
In developing countries most of who bear the burden of homelessness are said to be women and
children Their poor economic standing places them at greater risk of homelessness in order to escape
abusive situations.
Street children:
 They are frequently escaping abuse, particularly from stepparents or extreme poverty?
 Are often detained or imprisoned for being on the streets.
 Mistrust adults and authority
 Prefer to live on the streets rather than accept over authoritarian accommodation
Homeless women:
 Have generally been abandoned or widowed or are escaping abuse
 Turn to inappropriate relationships to secure accommodation for themselves and their children
 May end up begging or in prostitution to support their children
Homelessness is one of the most tragic forms of poverty, and it blights rich countries as much as poor
ones. It is one of a growing number of social and economic problems that belie the separation of the
world into developed and developing. We are all developing, and we all have lessons to learn from other
cultures and countries. In the absence of sufficient, affordable accommodation, there are a number of
approaches which could be taken to improving the lives of homeless people such as by not firstly
establishing Laws which criminalize street sleeping, such as the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act,
should be abolished and the practice of arresting and imprisoning people found sleeping on the streets
stopped, but rather providing solutions before.

References
(Watson, L. and Cooper, R,1992) Housing with Care, Supported Housing and Housing Associations. York,
Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
(Springer S 2000) ‘Homelessness: a proposal for a global definition and classification’ Habitat
International vol. 24 (2000) pp 475 – 484
(Lajoie, R 1998) ‘Shelter from the Storm’ Amnesty Action, Summer 1998: 6-8
(FEANTSA,1999) ‘Strategies to combat homelessness in Western and Eastern Europe: trends and
traditions in statistics and public policy’. Report prepared for UNCHS (Habitat), Nairobi.