Homeless persons and residential exclusion: a paradigm shift?
Abstract
Based on the social consequences of the economic crisis and on the increasing difficulties in accessing and retaining housing, studies on the phenomenon of homeless persons in Europe have adopted new perspectives that do not emphasise psychosocial variables or lifestyle. Recent analyses and research point to structural variables as playing a more leading role, lending a sociological aspect to the phenomenon and opening up the possibility of a better understanding of homelessness as well as of new forms of social action. This article discusses the opportunities and limitations of applying Housing First policies, and the extent to which they represent a paradigm shift in understanding homelessness. We also maintain that the debate on the current phenomenon of homeless persons, which remains far from closed, revolves around three different concepts: the “right to a roof”, the “right to housing” and the “right to the city”.
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