One of the major obstacles to dealing with homelessness has been the difficulty in defining
the term. In the mid-1980s, the United Nations proposed a definition of homelessness which
acknowledges a range of housing related needs. However, in practice the public sector generally
uses a narrower meaning of the term, considering only those who are dependent on emergency
shelters and those absolutely without shelter, to be “homeless”.
No common definition of homelessness has gained wide acceptance in Canada. Conceptual
gaps are created, as the problem of homelessness is defined differently by various sectors and levels
of government. The absence of formal recognition of this complex social problem has not served
to diminish its impact.
An alternative concept of homelessness relates to the continuum of shelter uncertainty among
the poverty population. Certain markings of vulnerability to homelessness have been identified to
determine which groups are “at risk” of experiencing homelessness.
This thesis contends that the broader concept of homeless may be utilized at the municipal
level, to better characterise the local nature of the problem and inform responses to local housing
need.
A case study is presented to explore how the term “homelessness” is operationalized by the
City of Vancouver. The opportunities and constraints of municipal housing planning and policy in
addressing homelessness are analyzed.
Service providers and government representatives were surveyed to evaluate the effectiveness of the City of Vancouver’s responses to the homeless. While the limitations on municipal action
were acknowledged, respondents generally support an expanded role for the City as a more proactive
facilitator and advocate.
The study finds that the range and diversity of acute housing need in the Vancouver case,
supports the rationale for broadening the meaning of homelessness and including at risk groups in
local planning for the homeless.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/5271 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Gagan, Gagan, Tracey Tracey |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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