Wandering and marginality in eight international cities
Vagrant sections of the population are found in many metropolises. Eight of them were selected for a comparative analysis which reflects a diversity of contexts and issues related to extreme exclusion: Bogotà, Greater London, Helsinki, New York City, the Region of Brussels, Rome, San Francisco and São Paulo. The analysis is based on state of the arts academic and institutional research. Fifteen or so interviews were conducted with specialised, international researchers and actors, fieldwork exchanges also took place in Helsinki in Finland, a country often cited as exemplary in matters of reducing homelessness through the promotion of a "Housing First" approach.
The note first focuses on issues linked to definition and the way these vagrant people are counted in the eight metropolises studied. How are these populations identified and categorised in these cities? What criteria is used? Are specific surveys carried out on these populations? What do the results of this work tell us about the number and profiles of the people concerned in these different contexts? It then looks at the way public policies address the needs of these sections of the population. What action and measures are put in place for these people? More specifically, how are they taken into account in the public urban development policies of the eight metropolises?
