ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 discusses the complexities of home and homelessness. It reflects on homelessness, home and social work. Policy definitions of homelessness differ to a sense of being or feeling home-less. A house has cultural, normative, psychological and moral meanings. Yet, home is more than a house. Home can mean different things to different people. Identifications with home for people defined as ‘homeless’ can be multiple, spatial, material, imagined, symbolic, cultural and temporal. It highlights First Nations Peoples’ sense of place and home in New Zealand, Canada and contested definitions of home and homelessness in Australia. Homelessness is gendered and classed and includes experiences of homelessness in migration, as it intersects with the complexities of home and housing for refugees and asylum seekers. This chapter also explores research about home and homelessness in the field of sexuality and ableist assumptions that contribute to ‘othering’ people with a disability. Finally, it points to research on home and the potential of Housing First approaches, drawing policy and practice implications for social work.
