- In Europe, homelessness is measured according to current living situations. Not all individuals without a home are classified as homeless. Instead, they are broken down into several categories. Individuals living without any shelter are said to be living in rooflessness. Houselessness on the other hand describes those who have no place to sleep, but reside in shelter or institutions. Insecure housing refers to those who are at risk of losing their home due to domestic violence, eviction, or exclusion. Finally, individuals classified as having inadequate housing reside in illegal campsites or squat in other public places.
- By breaking down Europe's homeless population into several categories, governments and organizations can find ways to best assist those at different stages of houselessness. Because the solution to each level of houselessness may differ, it is important to understand the root causes at each level. Because Europe is a large continent filled with citizens of different nationalities and languages, it is important to measure homelessness as it exists at the local levels.
- Homelessness in Europe is measured to help formulate policies that achieve three things: accommodation, support and prevention of homelessness. Prevention being the first step, the goal is to target those with insecure or inadequate housing as well as those on the verge of having insecure or inadequate housing, and prevent future homelessness. Additionally, this measurement allows groups to provide support including shelters and soup kitchens for roofless individuals as well as houseless ones. Finally, accommodation seeks to provide temporary housing for houseless individuals as well as other emergency care.
- The definitions and measurements of homelessness in Europe are expansive to include all individuals without shelter living on the continent of Europe. The four classifications of homelessness are based on a consensus that describes the various stages of homelessness prevalent throughout Europe. Because economic conditions may vary from country to country, the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) and other groups use the four classifications to describe the types of houselessness that may exist. Additionally, the way homelessness is measured helps compare the effectiveness of different methods and policies used in different European countries.
- The European method of measuring homelessness is important because it seeks to tackle the various reasons associated with why individuals become homeless. Rather than viewing homelessness as chronic problem that needs to be corrected, European organizations like FEANTSA take the view that homelessness is a problem that can affect households at any time. By measuring these various stages of homelessness, European governments and organizations can identify individuals vulnerable to homelessness and educate them on ways to prevent houselessness.
