homelessness

American  

[hohm-lis-nis] / ˈhoʊm lɪs nɪs /

noun

1. lack of permanent housing, especially this condition generally as a matter of public concern.

   The city partners with community groups to offer resources for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

2. lack of a feeling of belonging; rootlessness or restlessness.

   He writes about a feeling of homelessness after immigration, when he felt neither firmly bound to his native culture nor fully adapted to the new one.

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Sensitive Note

See homeless ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of homelessness

First recorded in 1810–20; homeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Homelessness is a situation in which people don't have a place to live. A family experiencing homelessness might need to temporarily stay in a city shelter or with a relative. Homelessness is a state of being without a home. The word usually describes the circumstances of people who have fallen on hard times and don't have the money or ability to acquire a safe, stable place to live. Homelessness is a widespread problem across the U.S., with causes that include poverty, addiction, domestic violence, low wages, and lack of affordable housing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

homelessness

The contrast between her district and the city overall offered Raman an angle to present herself as more effectively handling the homelessness crisis than Bass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

County Board of Supervisors voted to pull hundreds of millions of dollars out of LAHSA, shifting the money to a new county-run agency focused on homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Inside Safe, the mayor’s signature homelessness program, has moved more than 6,000 people into hotels, motels and other types of interim housing since Bass took office in December 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

But on Wednesday, Strachan told the court the definition of an emergency was an event or situation that threatened serious damage to human welfare such as homelessness, injury, or damage to property.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

I guess getting out of homelessness doesn’t happen all at once, either.

From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate