Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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Author(s): Hal Pawson, Chris Martin, Alistair Sisson, Sian Thompson, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Alex Marsh
Organization: City Futures Research Centre (University of New South Wales, Sydney), ACOSS-UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership
Publication Date: 2021
This report is the latest published by the Poverty and Inequality Partnership between the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and UNSW Sydney. It has been researched and written for the partnership by representatives of the City Futures Research Centre at UNSW Sydney, Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and the University of Bristol in the UK. It is also supported by Mission Australia, National Shelter and Queensland Shelter.
This report,...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox, Beth Watts, Jenny Wood
Organization: Crisis, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Publication Date: 2018
The homelessness monitor is a longitudinal study providing an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in England. It considers both the consequences of the post-2007 economic and housing market recession, and the subsequent recovery, and also the impact of policy changes. This seventh annual report updates our account of how homelessness stands in England in 2018, or as close to 2018 as data ava...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox, Beth Watts, Jenny Wood
Organization: Crisis, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Publication Date: 2018
The homelessness monitor is a longitudinal study providing an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in England. It considers both the consequences of the post-2007 economic and housing market recession, and the subsequent recovery, and also the impact of policy changes. This seventh annual report updates our account of how homelessness stands in England in 2018, or as close to 2018 as data ava...
Author(s): Beth Watts, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Sarah Johnsen
Publication Date: 2017
There is intense debate over the legitimacy of interventions which seek behavioural change on the part of street homeless people. ‘Hard’ measures, such as arresting people for begging, are particularly controversial, but ‘softer’ interventions such as motivational interviewing have also prompted objections on grounds that they are paternalistic. At the same time, the ‘non-interventionist’ stance of some service providers has been accused of perpe...
Author(s): Volker Busch-Geertsema, Suzanne Fitzpatrick
Organization: FEANTSA
Publication Date: 2008
England and Germany are unusual amongst developed economies in reporting declining levels of homelessness. This paper argues that, notwithstanding weaknesses in the available data, there are good grounds for thinking that in recent years there has been a reduction in homelessness in both countries. While a range of factors has contributed to these downward trends (a slackening housing market in Germany ; tightened local authority assessment proce...
Author(s): Brooks Newmark, Hannah Gousy, Matt Downie, Alice Evans, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Martin Houghton-Brown, Christina Marriott, Peter Mackie, Jacqui McCluskey, Dominic Williamson, Mike Wright
Organization: The Centre for Social Justice
Publication Date: 2017
Executive Summary
Homelessness is a devastating experience. It can trigger and exacerbate problems, from substance misuse to mental health conditions, and destabilise families and support networks. And the effects can last a lifetime; children who experience homelessness are much more likely to experience homelessness as adults. This cycle must be broken.
But over the last six years, the number of people experiencing homelessness in England has r...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox, Beth Watts
Organization: Crisis
Publication Date: 2016
The homelessness monitor series is a longitudinal study providing an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in England and elsewhere in the UK.1 This fifth annual report updates our account of how homelessness stands in England in 2016, or as close to 2016 as data availability allows.
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Glen Bramley, Filip Sosenko, Janice Blenkinsopp, Sarah Johnsen, Mandy Littlewood, Gina Netto, Beth Watts
Organization: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Publication Date: 2016
This report defines destitution in the UK, looking at how many people are affected, who they are, and the main pathways in and out of destitution. It looks at the impact and experience of those people directly affected.
Some people perceive that destitution is increasing in the UK. Media attention on the prevalence of extreme hardship, and the increased use of food banks in particular, is indicative of increased concerns. Yet evidence on the caus...

Author(s): Gina Netto, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Filip Sosenko, Harry Smith
Organization: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Publication Date: 2015
This study uses lessons from eleven countries to identify solutions to the problem of extreme housing exclusion (homelessness, severe overcrowding, very poor or insecure housing).
The research:
reviews international literature relating to the drivers of extreme housing exclusion and approaches to addressing the phenomenon;
identifies and analyses innovative approaches to tackling the problem based on empirical evidence, including how and why the...
Author(s): Glen Bramley, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Jenny Edwards, David Ford, Sarah Johnsen, Filip Sosenko, David Watkins
Organization: LankellyChase Foundation
Publication Date: 2015
This study sought to provide a statistical profile of a key manifestation of ‘severe and multiple disadvantage’ (SMD) in England. In this report, SMD is a shorthand term used to signify the problems faced by adults involved in the homelessness, substance misuse and criminal justice systems in England, with poverty an almost universal, and mental ill-health a common, complicating factor. The study also included an initial qualitative scoping phase...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Mark Stephens
Publication Date: 2013
This paper examines the exposure to homelessness of socially marginalised groups to understand better the applicability of, and limits to, welfare regime analysis. A vignette methodology is deployed in six European countries to interrogate and compare responses to marginalised groups at high risk of homelessness, including people with substance misuse problems, ex-offenders, young people excluded from the family home, migrants and women fleeing d...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Nicholas Pleace, Mark Bevan
Organization: Scottish Government, Scottish Executive Social Research
Publication Date: 2005
An evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) programme was undertaken by the Centre for Housing Policy, at the University of York, during the Autumn of 2004 and the Spring of 2005. The evaluation involved a critical review and analysis of existing research and statistical evidence, interviews with local authority officers responsible for RSI, national level interviews with individuals responsible for the development and delivery of RSI an...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Mark. Stephens
Publication Date: 1999
The polarised positions of the 1979-97 Conservative Government and pressure groups over the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 impeded rigorous analysis of its merits. To assess the value of the homelessness legislation, this paper broadens the debate to review the moral basis underlying all council house allocations. A utility maximising frameworkis adopted to clarify the principle of allocation according to need, and it is argued that this is...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox
Publication Date: 2012
The Homelessness Monitor: Scotland 2012 is the first report of a four-year longitudinal study that provides a 'baseline' account of how homelessness stands in Scotland in 2012. The study monitors the impact of the economic downturn and policy developments on homelessness in Scotland. Key findings from the report are: - In sharp contrast to a rising trend in England, statutory homelessness applications have dropped by 19% in Scotland over t...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox
Publication Date: 2012
The Homelessness Monitor: England 2012 is the second year report of a major five-year independent study into the impact of the economic downturn and policy developments homelessness in England. Key findings from the research are: - Visible forms of homelessness are continuing to rise sharply: the number of rough sleepers in England rose by 23% over the last year. Homelessness is growing most rapidly in London and the South; - Hidden home...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Sarah Johnsen, Glen Bramley
Publication Date: 2012
This article examines the experience of ‘multiple exclusion homelessness’ (MEH) amongst migrants to the UK. Homelessness and destitution amongst migrants has become a matter of growing concern in many European countries in recent years, particularly with respect to asylum seekers and refugees, irregular migrants and, increasingly, economic migrants from central and eastern Europe. Drawing on a multistage quantitative survey, this paper demonstra...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Glen Bramley, Sarah Johnsen
Publication Date: 2012
This paper interrogates pathways into multiple exclusion homelessness (MEH) in the UK and, informed by a critical realist theoretical framework, explores the potential causal processes underlying these pathways. Drawing on an innovative multistage quantitative survey, it identifies five experiential clusters within the MEH population, based on the extent and complexity of experiences of homelessness, substance misuse, institutional care, street c...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Emily Lynch, Robina Goodlad, Claire Houghton
Publication Date: 2003
Domestic abuse is not a new social problem: what is new is the growing public and political concern it attracts. This research report focuses on one particular intervention intended to assist abused women and their children – refuge accommodation provided by the Women’s Aid (WA) network in Scotland. The research aims were to:
investigate women, children and young people’s experiences, preferences and priorities in relation to refuge provision;...
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Hal Pawson, Glen Bramley, Steve Wilcox
Publication Date: 2011
The homelessness monitor is a three year study that will provide an independent analysis of the impact on homelessness of recent economic and policy developments in England. This year 1 report provides a baseline account of how homelessness stands to date in 2011, and analyses key trends in the preceding period
Author(s): Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Sarah Johnsen, Beth Watts
Publication Date: 2012
As part of this review of the homelessness legislation in Wales, the research team undertook a targeted review of relevant UK and international literature, as well as an in‐depth analysis of a selection of other countries with promising approaches that may provide useful lessons for Wales (England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and US). The findings of the review are presented under eight key themes:   1....