Others simply define homelessness as the condition when the person or families do not have their own place to live in. Yet others view them as "those people who hang around downtown and go through the rubbish cans."" Some take a broader view and feel it should also include people who are evicted or have left their families because of difficulties. Still others define homelessness as being without shelter, but this definition reduces the seriousness of the issue and excludes a number of people deprived of "homes." Unfortunately, while these examples may be accurate in defining a certain type or category of the homeless population, they do not delineate its parameters. That is, the current definitions or classifications of the homeless are of limited use, because at one extreme the homeless are defined as those who have lost their housing. .
At the other extreme, some have defined it with some theoretical paradigm in mind. According to Loveland "The most important dimensions of this are the duration and cause of homelessness, leading them to develop three major groups of the homeless: (1) short term; (2) long term; and (3) episodic."" Expressing great dissatisfaction with the fuzzy and blurring lines separating different groups of homeless people, Loveland proposes that:.
We look at three dimensions of homelessness: paths (and social roots), demographics and lifestyles, and barriers to escape. Paths are important to understand in order to develop preventive strategies; demographics and lifestyles to understand what sorts of services, particularly shelters, are needed; and barriers in order to design escape strategies.
Judging from the review of reports received, it appears that those in vulnerable economic situations, upon receiving an economic jolt, in the absence of "social margins" (savings, relatives, extended family, friends.) become homeless. Also, these reports clearly show the great importance of economic factors in homelessness.
