Not Sheltered, Not Homeless
Description:
Since its recognition as a social problem in the 1980s, homelessness has not abated. A signature feature of contemporary homelessness is a life in public. Sociological research on the relationship between "sheltered" & "street" homeless populations emphasize their overlapping nature. Yet many homeless people who create "makeshift" housing solutions actively resist shelterization & contest the view that they are in fact homeless. Examining the resources & risks associated with makeshift housing suggests that it provides increased social & structural opportunities yet comes with risks that threaten community longevity. Vehicles are a type of makeshift housing that offer the potential for privacy, ownership, & mobility, unique resources among makeshifts. Using the case of otherwise homeless people living in their vehicles in Santa Barbara, California, this article examines how they acquire & maintain their vehicles & explores the conditions that provide for or threaten their status as a semipermanent housing solution. Figures, References. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc., copyright 2005.]
Type of Resource:
Journal
Publication Date:
2005
Volume:
48
Issue:
8
Pages:
1013-1032
Location:
Thousand Oaks