This international research on homelessness & public space regulation has been carried out by Lucy Adams, 2013 Winston Churchill Memorial Trust of Australia Fellow : the research covered over 60 experts in 9 cities throughout the US, Canada and Europe.
Three main components to this research :
- Understanding enforcement-based approaches to homelessness : understanding the pressures and motivations behind local decisions to use law enforcement to address homelessness / learning about the impacts (positive and negative) of enforcement-based approaches on individuals experiencing homelessness
- Changing the conversation : learning about effective ways of communicating about these issues, including how we can challenge stereotypes about homelessness and its causes in a way that makes room for better informed approaches to dealing with visible homelessness in our communities
- Creating alternatives to enforcement : getting new insights about ways of addressing homelessness that look beyond law enforcement and the justice system
"One of the consistent messages from my conversations is that decision-makers often turn to enforcement because of a perceived lack of alternatives. Part of this project is about identifying alternatives by highlighting jurisdictions that are doing things differently. If we can see models that are working in other places, there is little justification for us to persist with inefficient, ineffective enforcement-based approaches to visible homelessness in our communities."
To read the full document, click here.
