Important Definitions

On this blog, articles or fact-sheets will be posted discussing homelessness. Certain concepts will be referred to often, and this first post is meant to clarify the definitions used for these articles.


The word “homelessness” is defined as the chronic, sporadic, or situational condition of being without proper accommodation (O’Reilly-Fleming, 1993). In other words, those without a place to stay, for a variety of possible reasons, qualify as “homeless”.

Poverty is described as a situation measured through income, particularly concerning the amount of income necessary to meet basic needs. When somebody does not have enough income to meet the basic demands of living, they are living in poverty (Vidyasagar, 2006).


The concept of mental illness is connected to homelessness and poverty, defined as emotions and behaviors that interfere with one’s personal life and “essential life functions” (Overton & Medina, 2008).  


These definitions are essential to understand for the purpose of this blog.