Another critical task of the Stakeholders Committee was to discuss and decide on the definition of homelessness
for the purposes of the project. Having an agreed upon definition of homelessness was critical because it determined who would
be included in the needs assessment and ultimately which needs would be focused on in the awareness and community capacity
building phases of the project (Perresini, et al., 1995). Part of that discussion was recognition that homelessness can look
very different in a rural setting than in an urban one, a point acknowledged in the literature on methodology for counting
homeless persons (Perressini, et al., 1995). Persons facing homelessness in a rural setting may not be physically ‘on
the street’ in the same visible way they might in an urban centre, even though the reality of not having a place they
can call ‘home’ is the same.
Drawing on definitions used in similar studies conducted in the Interior of British Columbia (Blair, F. et al.,
2001; Kelowna Steering Committee on Homelessness, 2001), the committee decided to utilize and adapt the United Nations definitions
of "Absolute Homelessness" and "Relative Homelessness" because of their broad applications to many different settings and
their acknowledgment by the project’s funder, HRDC.
"Absolute Homelessness" is defined as a situation in which an individual or family has no housing at all or
is staying in a temporary form of shelter. This includes those who are:
- • living in parks or on Crown land
- • living on the streets
- • living in emergency shelters
- • living in temporary accommodations
- • ‘couch surfing’ (temporary short term accommodation with friends or relatives)
- • living in a makeshift shelter or sleeping in a vehicle
"Relative Homelessness" is defined a situation in which people’s homes do not meet basic standards. This
includes living situations that:
- • do not have adequate protection from the elements
- • lack access to safe water and sanitation
- • lack security of tenure
- • do not ensure personal safety
- • are not situated within easy reach of employment, education and health care
- • require more than 50% of total income be spent on housing
