Subtopics Of Homelessness

An individual who has never experienced homelessness, would just think that it would be living on the street. Which yes, they are correct but there is a more detailed definition of this that states there are many types of homelessness, not just living on the street. Per Tipple & Speak “homelessness as featuring a lack of a right of access to secure and minimally adequate housing, variously described as rooflessness (living rough), houselessness (relying on emergency accommodation or long-term institutions), or inadequate housing (including insecure accommodation, intolerable housing conditions or involuntary sharing)” (2005). There are so many subtopics to homelessness and those who experience this at some point in time, many youth experience

couch surfing or sometimes is known as hidden homelessness for number of months before they go to rough living. The “hidden homelessness population falls under the category of ‘provisionally accommodated’. It refers specifically to people who live temporarily with others but without guarantee of continued residency or immediate prospects for accessing permanent housing” ( Homeless Hub, 2017). Throughout my posts, you will start to notice I mention individuals who are classified by youth. Per the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization an individual who is between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age are categorized in being called youths (2017). Before you read my next post, think about the different terminologies that you use when you stigmatize youths who live on the street. What do you call them? What is your demeaner towards them?
Stigma around youth homelessness
In the previous post, I asked you to think of names that would call a youth when you saw them on the street. Were these some of the names you came up with?
• Runaway
• Street kids
• Junkies
• Troubled teens (Hennessy, 2014)
These are just a few examples of what people think when they see a youth rough living. You automatically assume that it because they were bad people or they got caught up with drugs and alcohol. When you see them on the streets usually your first thought is that it’s their fault that they ended up here, and eventually just shake your head and continue walking. We all have done this type of behaviour, myself included. Being a youth myself, I thought if could go to school and get a part- time job so could anyone whether you are an adolescent or an adult. After taking my homelessness course, it opened my eyes to see the full extent to how we treat people and are so quick to judge them without knowing the whole story. I am not saying that you should have a deep meaningful conversation with every single person you see on the street, but just be mindful of the privileges that you have and know that youths who are rough living are there because they had nowhere else to turn. In addition, something else to take note to is “those already facing systemic inequities, discrimination, and violence on the basis of gender, race, age, poverty, disability, sexual orientation, immigration or Aboriginal status, now face the possibility of becoming dehoused as a result.” (Hulchanski, Campsie, Chau, Hwang, & Paradis, 2009).