homelessness

/ˈhoʊmləsnəs/
lack of housing

Many cities are struggling with rising homelessness.

A growing number of people have no place to live.

formal

The condition of lacking a permanent residence or shelter.

The government announced new funding to combat homelessness.

Authorities will provide money to reduce the number of people without homes.

Homelessness is often linked to mental health issues and unemployment.

Being without a home is frequently associated with mental illness and job loss.

Used to discuss social, economic, and policy issues.

Collocations

address homelessnesstake measures to reduce or solve the problem of people lacking homescombat homelessnessactively work against the rise of people without shelterrise in homelessnessan increase in the number of people who are homeless

Related Phrases

homeless shelterphrase
a place that provides temporary accommodation for people without homes
homeless crisisphrase
a severe, widespread increase in homelessness

Pro Tip

Article usage

When talking about the phenomenon in general, use 'the homelessness' (e.g., 'the homelessness in New York'). When referring to a specific instance, you can say 'homelessness among veterans'.

Word Origin

Formed from the adjective 'homeless' (home + -less) plus the noun suffix '-ness', first recorded in the early 20th century.

Usage Notes

Usually preceded by the definite article 'the' when referring to the general social issue (e.g., 'the homelessness in the city').

English Dictionary
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