Homelessness
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Homelessness is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. The definition of homelessness differs from country to country, with some countries yet to have any definition in place. Pe
A homeless man in Paris
The Bowery Mission in New York City, c. 1800s
German illustration of a homeless mother and her children in the street, before 1883
A homeless man living in a sewer, Vienna, Austria, c. 1900
Vagrancy
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Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, scavenging, o
Homelessness
…experience absolute homelessness, lacking any form of shelter. Other words that have been used to indicate homelessness or homeless persons include vagrancy, hobos, and tramps. In 2004, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs defined a homeless household as those households without a…
John Everett Millais' The Blind Girl, depicting a vagrant musician
Vagabonds being arrested in 19th century France
A woodcut from c. 1536 depicting a vagrant being punished in the streets in Tudor England
The Pass Room at Bridewell, c. 1808. At this time paupers from outside London apprehended by the authorities could be imprisoned for seven days before being sent back to their own parish.