Homelessness and Social Policy

No other social phenomena better epitomizes the end of Britain's modernist project than its seeming inability to respond adequately to the most basic needs - shelter, warmth, food - of many citizens. "Homelessness and Social Policy" offers a dispassionate analysis of the problem of homelessness and the policy responses it has so far invoked. Derived from research at the Centre for Housing Policy during the 1990s, this timely volume reviews theoretical and legal approaches to the problem, considers the impact of the experience of homelessness and evaluates of various policy responses.

The problem of homelessness is deeply emblematic of the sort of society Britain has become. What other social phenomena could better epitomise the end of modernity than our seeming inability to adequately respond to the most basic needs - shelter, warmth, food - of substantial numbers of our 'citizens'? Homelessness and Social Policy offers a dispassionate analysis of the problem of homelessness and the policy responses it has so far invoked. By reviewing theoretical and legal conceptualisations of homelessness and presenting extensive statistical analyses, this book considers the impact of the experience of homelessness and the policy responses. Homelessness and Social Policy will prove to be invaluable to students of social and public policy, health studies, housing studies and sociology.

Preface John Greve 1. Homelessness in Contemporary Britain: Conceptualisation and Measurement Nicholas Pleace, Deborah Quilgars and Roger Burrows 2. Homelessness and the Law Stuart Lowe 3. Theorising Homelessness: Contemporary Sociological and Feminist Perspectives Joanne Neale 4. The Social Distribution of the Experience of Homelessness Roger Burrows 5. The Characteristics of Single Homeless People in England Peter Kemp 6. Mortgage Arrears, Mortgage Possessions and Homelessness Janet Ford 7. Soldiering On? Theorising Homelessness Amongst Ex-Servicemen Paul Higate 8. The Housing Needs of Ex-Prisoners Jane Carlisle 9. The Health of Single Homelessness People Wendy Bines 10. Health, Homelessness and Access to Health Care Services in London Nicholas Pleace and Deborah Quilgars 11. Rehousing Single Homeless People Nicholas Pleace 12. Opening Doors in the Private Rented Sector: Developments in Assistance with Access Julie Rugg 13. The Capacity of the Private Rented Sector to House Homeless Households Mark Bevan and David Rhodes 14. Hostels: A Useful Policy and Practice Response? Joanne Neale 15. Addressing the Problem of Youth Homelessness and Unemployment: the Contribution of Foyers Deborah Quilgars and Isobel Anderson 16. Working Together to Help Homeless People: an Examination of Inter-Agency Themes Christine Oldman References Name index Subject index

Roger Burrows is Assistant Director and Nicholas Pleace and Deborah Quilgars are Research Fellows at the Centre for Housing Policy, University of York