ABSTRACT

This chapter examines existing literature, policy, service responses and lived experiences of homelessness in China. It discusses the Aid Stations, as the main government response to homelessness, along with their limitations. Areas for further research and consideration about homelessness in China are also outlined. Homelessness as a social problem is understudied in China. Non-government organizations (NGOs) includes the Sunshine Community across China that focuses on children, and the Ruifeng Social Service Center in Beijing that provide outreach services for homeless people. The chapter highlights selected stories about the lived experience of homeless people in China and their perceptions of service systems. In the context of vast social development in China, elderly people are bearing the costs and consequences of social and family change, such as changes in family structure, filial duty, and the increased mobility of adult children. It has also been noticed that young people with an education are emerging as a new group of homeless people.