A home is a place to rest, to feel safe, to share family and friends, and to build a life. It’s one of the most important, basic needs that we human beings have, yet 150 million people around the world are homeless.
According to UN-Habitat, a total of 1.6 billion people on the planet live in inadequate housing—they’re either homeless, in temporary shelters and camps, or in overcrowded and substandard living conditions. In addition, 15 million people are forcibly evicted every year.
The global homelessness crisis has only intensified over the last decade. It’s a huge, glaring reminder of how much we have to do to eliminate poverty and inequality. Addressing homelessness requires an understanding of its root causes and a global commitment to inclusive development.
Understanding the Roots of Homelessness
At its core, homelessness stems from a lack of affordable housing, compounded by economic inequality. In many countries, the gap between wages and housing costs is unsustainable. In the United States, for instance, a full-time worker must earn $25.82 per hour to afford a two-bedroom rental, but the federal minimum wage remains just $7.25. Even workers earning higher wages often struggle to secure stable housing due to the high cost of living. About half of the entire country is considered “rent-burdened,” meaning that they must spend more than 30% of their income on housing. That leaves little money for food, utilities, transportation, clothing, healthcare, and other basics.
For families living paycheck to paycheck, a single unexpected expense—like a medical bill or a car repair—can lead to eviction and homelessness. Vulnerable groups, such as survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, the elderly, individuals with mental illnesses, and those battling addiction are at heightened risk of homelessness because they tend to earn less. Systemic issues, including limited public assistance and poor access to healthcare, leave many without the safety nets they need to stay in their homes.
The Complexities of Homelessness
Homelessness and housing insecurity are highly complicated issues, and there are a dizzying array of reasons why someone might become homeless or experience housing insecurity. Poverty is usually the underlying reason, but there are other factors, too. For example, chronic homelessness often affects people with disabilities or mental health issues, while situational homelessness may result from a temporary economic setback or disaster.
On the systemic level, substandard housing conditions and overcrowding contribute to housing insecurity for a huge chunk of the global population. More than a billion people live in slums, including half of all urban residents in Sub-Saharan Africa and hundreds of millions in Asia. In many low-income countries in these regions, people are flocking to urban areas to find jobs, but these cities haven’t been able to build enough affordable homes to house these people. They resort to living in crowded makeshift communities. Another 2 billion more people are expected to be living in these slum-like conditions over the next 30 years.
In other nations, historical cuts to affordable housing programs have made homelessness and housing insecurity worse. For instance, in the 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. federal government reduced funding for housing, a decision whose consequences are still felt today. In addition, builders in the U.S. are constructing fewer homes of all kinds, and this underproduction is a major cause of the crisis because it has reduced the supply of available. homes.
In addition, conflicts and violence force people from their homes and destroy communities, as is the case right now in places like Gaza, Syria, and Sudan, where millions of people have been displaced. Right now, about 6.6 million people are living in refugee camps around the world. Racism and bigotry are also entwined with homelessness. In the U.S., for example, the practice of redlining saw banks and lenders systematically preventing Black households from obtaining mortgages on homes in certain neighborhoods. It’s one of the most pernicious examples of systemic racism in the U.S. and is a major cause of the wealth disparity between Black and white Americans.
Global Momentum for Change
On a global scale, the international community has begun to recognize the urgency of the homelessness crisis. In February 2020, the UN Commission for Social Development held its first-ever discussion on homelessness, bringing together governments, NGOs, businesses, and academics. This landmark event emphasized the need for comprehensive strategies to end homelessness by the end of the decade, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The meeting also marked the 25th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, an agreement that placed social inclusion and poverty eradication at the center of global development. While progress has been made in many areas, the pandemic has set back efforts.
The Role of Islamic Relief USA
Homelessness isn’t something that one organization, one country, or one community can solve—it’s a global effort. However, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is contributing to the fight. By working to eliminate poverty via food aid, clean water, education, medical care, and disaster relief, IRUSA is committed to a world where everyone has a safe home. IRUSA also provides immediate relief to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, including those struggling with homelessness, housing insecurity, and displacement.
Through initiatives like Day of Dignity in the U.S., IRUSA provides essential services to vulnerable populations. These events offer hot meals, clothing, hygiene kits, and even free medical care to those in need. IRUSA’s work with refugee populations in the U.S. also addresses housing insecurity. The organization is becoming an official refugee resettlement agency and is now in its second year of helping hundreds of Afghan refugees settle in the U.S. and find stable housing.
Everyone Deserves a Safe, Healthy Home
Homelessness and housing insecurity are among the most visible signs of inequality, but they are not insurmountable. Through innovative government policies, global collaboration, grassroots activism, and support from organizations like IRUSA, it is possible to create a world where universal housing is a reality.