Waarom slapen daklozen buiten?

Samenvatting

I contribute to a specific sub-terrain of the discussion of homelessness, focusing on why homeless people sleep in the public space of Amsterdam. I look specifically at the inner dynamics of rough sleeping, like the impact of weather conditions and (un)safety. Roughly speaking, there are two reasons why the homeless sleep outside: (1) They are unwilling or unable to use homeless shelters, since shelter rules exclude rough sleepers. (2) Life outside attracts rough sleepers. A group of rough sleepers find their means of existence and part of their social network in the public space of the city. Part of the rough sleepers' preference for public space is due to the fact that they live in the nighttime and (try to) sleep in the daytime. To understand why homeless sleep outside -- I conclude -- it is necessary to look at the rough sleepers' "overall logic," not just at one aspect of their life, like addiction or mental disturbance. 19 References. Adapted from the source document.