What a Home Does

Abstract Analytic philosophy has largely neglected the topic of homelessness. The few notable exceptions, including work by Jeremy Waldron and Christopher Essert, focus on our interests in shelter, housing, property rights, but ignore key social functions that a home performs as place which we are welcomed, accepted, respected. This paper identifies ladder home-related concepts begins with minimal notion temporary shelter , then moves to persistent housing finally rich focuses meeting needs including, specifically, belong have meaningful control over environment. concept-ladder enables us distinguish shelterless from sheltered; unhoused housed; unhomed homed. It also decouple concept reveals potential complications people’s living arrangements. For instance, person could be sheltered unhoused, housed homeless, or, indeed, We show should reserve capture idea belonging core met.