homelessness
n. the condition of being without a permanent residence due to economic inability or mental or physical incapacity to maintain a residence, housing shortages, barriers to accessing adequate, affordable housing, or any combination of these and other factors. Occurring in towns and smaller communities as well as major cities, homelessness is a complex social problem with no single explanation for its occurrence. Contributing factors tend to be categorized as structural or individual. Structural causes relate to large-scale societal issues, such as unemployment and poverty, the housing market, and the general state of the economy. Individual causes are more personal or interpersonal, such as illness, recent incarceration, or family conflict. Research has shown that homeless people have higher rates of substance abuse, mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia), cognitive deficits, and behavioral difficulties as well as poor self-esteem and poor
self-efficacy. Disabilities and various medical conditions (e.g., cardiorespiratory disease, diabetes, sexually transmitted disease) are common as well. Some of these factors are also among the potential consequences of homelessness. Other effects include discrimination and social rejection, increased vulnerability to trauma or violent crime (e.g., assault), and greater likelihood of premature death.