Hoeveel daklozen er zijn? Geen idee!

Samenvatting

Factors influencing the lack of precision in estimating the number of homeless people in the Netherlands are described, focusing on varying definitions of homelessness, approaches regarding its causes, & counting methods. A variety of perspectives as to who fits the criterion of "not being sure of a place to sleep the following night" are offered, & three categories of people are discerned: (1) homeless, (2) roofless, & (3) marginally housed. A shift in emphasis from social-psychological factors to material factors is found to influence definitions &, thus, quantity estimates. A number of counting methods are discussed, varying from simple street counts to complex approaches in which the interdependence of various parts of the system (eg, mental hospitals, commerical boarding houses, normal housing) are related. 3 Figures, 32 References. Adapted from the source document.