Advancing a Five-Level Typology of Homelessness Prevention

This paper aims to demonstrate the efficacy of a five-level homelessness prevention typology, encompassing universal, targeted, crisis, emergency, and recovery categories. We argue that this typology can be deployed illuminate key comparisons in policy practice between different jurisdictions over time. Meanwhile, it avoids confusions overlaps occur extant categorisations. Using UK as an empirical testbed for analytical framework, four lessons emerge which we contend have resonance across much global north. First, though there is growing evidence importance both universal measures (particularly delivery affordable housing poverty reduction), targeted preventative interventions (focused on high risk groups transitions), practical action fronts has been deeply deficient date. Second, more encouragingly, nascent shift from overwhelming focus basic, emergency interventions, towards upstream attempts avert kind crisis situations lead arising first place. Third, also welcome, trend within treatment-led housing-led models, albeit frustratingly slow materialise many countries. Fourth, all these categories prevention, remain substantial gaps, especially outside US.