The document discusses challenges in measuring and comparing homelessness in New Zealand to Europe. It finds that people in institutions are not considered homeless, while those living in uninhabitable housing and experiencing poverty would be classified as homeless. Another indicator like income is needed when using census data to identify the homeless population. Overall, logical and valid measurement is important for homelessness to become a key social indicator internationally.

1. Conceptualising and Counting
Homelessness in New Zealand: Is
comparability with Europe possible?
Kate Amore, Michael Baker, Helen Viggers,
Philippa Howden-Chapman
Housing & Health Research Programme
Department of Public Health
University of Otago, Wellington
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW
ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

2. New Zealand?
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

3. European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

4. European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

5. Homelessness is culturally invisible in New Zealand
- John May, 2003
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

6. NZ Definition of Homelessness
A person is homeless, if, at the time of enumeration:
1. Living in a situation unacceptable for permanent
habitation by NZ norms and;
2. Have no options to acquire safe and secure
private accommodation.
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

7. NZ Living situations ETHOS LIGHT ETHOS
Living rough Living rough ROOFLESS
Without
accommodation Non-conventional
Improvised dwelling INADEQUATE
dwelling
Emergency
Night shelter ROOFLESS
accommodation
Non-profit accommodation for the
homeless Accommodation for the
HOUSELESS
homeless
Women’s refuge
Temporary
accommodation Communal commercial accommodation Temporary
HOUSELESS
(eg. boarding houses) accommodation
Non-conventional
Camping ground / motor camp INADEQUATE
dwelling
Temporary
Marae HOUSELESS
accommodation
Sharing Conventional housing
Staying with family or friends INSECURE
accommodation with family or friends
Uninhabitable
housing
Legally tenured housing without
adequate amenities
N/A N/A

 N/A Health care and penal institutions Institutions HOUSELESS
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

8. People in  Point in time counts
institutions  Conflation of
‘actual’ and ‘at risk’
≠ populations
homeless  Individual life
courses cannot be
reflected at a single
point in time
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

9. Uninhabitable
housing  Legally tenured
= housing without
adequate amenities
homeless*  Adequate amenities
is defined by U.N.
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

10. NZ Living situations ETHOS LIGHT ETHOS
Living rough Living rough ROOFLESS
Without
accommodation Non-conventional
Improvised dwelling INADEQUATE
dwelling
Emergency
Night shelter ROOFLESS
accommodation
Non-profit accommodation for the
homeless Accommodation for the
HOUSELESS
homeless
Women’s refuge
Temporary
accommodation Communal commercial accommodation Temporary
HOUSELESS
(eg. boarding houses) accommodation
Non-conventional
Camping ground / motor camp INADEQUATE
dwelling
Temporary
Marae HOUSELESS
accommodation
Sharing Conventional housing
Staying with family or friends INSECURE
accommodation with family or friends
Uninhabitable Legally tenured housing without
N/A N/A
housing adequate amenities
N/A Health care and penal institutions Institutions HOUSELESS
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

11. Scrutiny of domains of home
Habitability
Security
of
tenure
Privacy
Edgar,2009
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

12. European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

13. Domains contributing to
homelessness and housing
exclusion
Security of
Habitability Privacy
tenure
habitation categories
Without shelter   
Temporary place of
Temporary
  
accommodation
Sharing
  
accommodation
Uninhabitable
  
housing
exclusion
Crowding
category
Housing
(e.g. one family
  
with many
children)
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

14. NZ Definition of Homelessness
A person is homeless, if, at the time of enumeration:
1. Living in a situation unacceptable for permanent
habitation by NZ norms and;
2. Have no options to acquire safe and secure
private accommodation.
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

15. ‘Due to lack of housing’

European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

16. Translating ‘no options’ /
‘due to lack of housing’
 Necessary to take out people living in
temporary situations for other reasons
 Indicator of deprivation
 Best available indicator is income
(Census data)
 Poverty line is most defensible threshold
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

17. Summary
 People in institutions are not homeless
 People in uninhabitable housing are
homeless (if they are also poor)
 Another indicator –
deprivation (income poverty) –
is required to identify the homeless
population in Census data
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

18. Conclusions
 3 major challenges for international discussion
 Logic and validity should be central to the
measurement of homelessness
 This discussion is important if homelessness is
to become a key international social indicator
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT

19. www.healthyhousing.org.nz
European Research Conference, Budapest, 17th September 2010
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION IN THE NEW ENHR
EUROPEAN CONTEXT