Homelessness is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. The definition of homelessness differs from country to country, with some countries yet to have any definition in place. People can be categorized as homeless if they:
are living on the streets (primary homelessness);
have no permanent house or place to live safely
are moving between temporary shelters, including houses of friends, family, hotels, and emergency accommodation (secondary homelessness)
The legal status of homeless people varies from place to place. Homeless enumeration studies conducted by the government of the United States also include people who sleep in a public or private place that is not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. Homelessness and poverty are interrelated. There is no standardized method for counting homeless individuals and identifying their needs; consequently, most cities only have estimated figures for their homeless populations.
In 2025, approximately 330 million people worldwide experience absolute homelessness, lacking any form of shelter. Homeless persons who travel have been termed vagrants in the past; of those, persons looking for work are hobos, whereas those who do not are tramps. All three of these terms, however, generally have a derogatory connotation today.
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