Homelessness and precarious living conditions are critical issues among the urban poor and represent a significant policy concern in several industrialized countries. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have increased the prevalence of people living in inadequate shelter due to sudden income shocks. However, publicly available data on the global homeless population are extremely rare. In this book, the authors first compile a newly created database that includes data on homeless populations in various countries and cities in Europe, Australia, and the United States. They then shed light on the relationship between a country’s institutional characteristics and the size of its homeless population: countries with higher rates of homelessness are those that have experienced a greater increase in inequality and a higher proportion of migrants. Second, the authors present and discuss the results of survey data collected among homeless people in three cities in Italy. Their findings show that a significant majority of the homeless are divorced men in the middle phase of their lives, with unemployment and family breakdown as the primary reasons for their homeless status.
Pages: 192
Trade Paper: ISBN 9791281627086; $34.95
Authors:
Michela Braga is Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Bocconi University and a research fellow at Baffi-Carefin and fRDB. She holds a PhD in Economics. Her work focuses on the economics of education, social exclusion, and extreme poverty. Since 2008, she has led studies on homelessness, bringing together data-driven analysis and hands-on fieldwork.
Lucia Corno is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at Cattolica University, Milan. She is co-founder and Executive Director of the Laboratory for Effective Antipoverty Policies (LEAP) at Bocconi University. She received a PhD in Economics from Bocconi University in 2009 and held academic positions at University College London and Queen Mary University.
Paola Monti is Research Coordinator at the Fondazione Ing. Rodolfo Debenedetti in Milan. She holds a Master of Science in Economics from University College London. Her work focuses on field research and projects related to labour economics, immigration, homelessness and social policy.
