Between Rural and Urban Slums: A Geography of Pathways Through Homelessness

Abstract

In this paper we deal with the geography of pathways through homelessness, developed by households who live in holiday parks in the rural southern part of Belgium (Wallonia). The paper aims to provide insights into the motivations and objectives of the homeless themselves and to identify structural obstacles that risk reproducing homelessness. After a conceptual introduction, we present our research methodology, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The following section then briefly describes the socio-historical background of three permanently inhabited holiday parks, which serve as case studies for this paper. The empirical results focus on the geography of pathways, stressing housing situations before and beyond permanent habitation of holiday parks. We conclude by arguing that a collective and holistic policy is needed to fight homelessness.

Rural Homelessness in Western Canada: Lessons Learned from Diverse Communities

“…The rural homeless population was reported to be quite mobile, constantly moving from place to place. While interviewees noted issues of outmigration from urban centres to rural areas, and migration between rural communities, there was no identification of migration of the urban poor to rural areas as noted in Belgium by Meert and Bourgeois (2005).…”

Staying Put! A Housing Pathway Analysis of Residential Stability in Belgium

“…Pathways at the bottom of the housing market, for instance, do not reflect the singular upward trajectory implied in the 'housing career' approach. The pathways approach therefore has proved to be useful to generate 'thick description' of the turbulent dynamics in and out of situations of homelessness (see Anderson & Tulloch, 2000;De Decker & Segers, 2013;Fitzpatrick, 2000;Fitzpatrick et al, 2013;Meert & Bourgeois, 2005;Wong, 1997), refugees' housing conditions (Netto, 2011), new immigrants (Robinson et al, 2007), middle-class families' choice for urban environments (Karsten, 2007) and camping ground residents (Severinsen, 2013). Second, the housing career approach does not take into account the way in which society constructs norms and expectations about 'changes in tenure or in location'.…”

Defining Homelessness in the Rural United States

“…Lawrence emphasizes the "culture of chronicity" which plagues the near homeless because their circumstances are so precarious that they can rapidly fall into another form of homelessness and are unable to become self-sufficient (1995). Meert and Bourgeois (2005) define homelessness as rooflessness, houselessness, living in insecure accommodation, and living in inadequate housing. "Rooflessness" counts those sleeping outdoors or on the streets; "houselessness" counts those who are in shelters but do not have resources to re-integrate into everyday society; and "living in insecure accommodation" refers to those living with an uncertain tenure of a dwelling or short-term living arrangements such as those staying with family, in extreme circumstances, or people at risk of domestic violence.…”