Migration and Homelessness: Measuring the Intersections

Abstract

Given the growing superdiversity of European societies, more detailed data on migrant homelessness are needed. Measuring and monitoring the inter sections between migration and homelessness needs a fundamental reflection and operationalisation of this diversity. In this contribution, we firstly look into the available evidence produced by (members of) the European Observatory on Homelessness (EOH) on the ways the relationship between homelessness and migration have been measured, given the important role of the EOH in bringing together the available statistics on homelessness in the EU. Secondly, we analyse the way migrant homelessness is measured in Norway, Austria, Belgium and Sweden, all relatively affluent mature welfare states, mainly receiving countries of migration. We describe which types of migrants are studied and we analyse the research designs and the specific instruments to measure migrant background. This paper shows the growing awareness of migration as a new structural factor causing homelessness, next to more traditional structural factors such as the housing market and the social welfare system. Our contribution shows that a fundamental debate is needed about the way homelessness statistics include and exclude specific groups of homeless persons.