Global Homelessness in a Post- Recession World

The Great Recession has resulted in various changes in homeless populations in municipalities throughout the world. From “unsheltered homeless” in NYC to "rough sleepers" in London and to "sans-abris" in Paris, or "poblacion callejera" in Mexico City, the economic crisis of 2008 impacted economies in ways that put severe pressures on housing, particularly at the lower-income-level brackets. After all, the Great Recession was generated by a housing bubble, which then constricted capital markets for housing. After the immediate crisis, economic stabilization was followed by stagflation or deflation. There were flat or decreasing wages in the middle- to low-income brackets and high unemployment. Many governments responded with austerity measures to decrease public spending. This research takes a global perspective on the impact of the recession on trends for unsheltered homelessness in twenty of the largest municipalities in OECD countries from 2005-2014.

Publication Date: 
2017
Volume: 
24
Issue: 
1
Journal Name: 
Journal of Public Management & Social Policy