THE ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF WORLD PROBLEMS
& HUMAN POTENTIAL
Homelessness is a major problem in the world today which requires a quick solution.
Firstly Homelessness is concerned with individuals living in precarious situations, whose accommodation is insecure, who risk being evicted or live in buildings under demolition order.
The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements has proposed that individuals are considered"houseless" if they are sleeping rough, which means in the street, in public places or in any other place not meant for human habitation, or in shelters provided by welfare or other institutions.
There are 100 million homeless in the world today. In the EEC/EU in 1992, single people have a four times greater risk of being homeless, and lone parents a 17 times greater risk. In Denmark, 50% of the women who received assistance as homeless persons in 1989 were accompanied by children, compared with 1% of the men. Over 70% of Europe's homeless persons are under 40 years of age, and there has been a trend towards a fall in the average age of homeless persons over 20 years. Immigrants have a higher risk of being homeless, with illegal immigrants having particular difficulties.
This problem exists in every city of the world where you find families sleeping on the streets and under bridges and its on a high increase.