Some estimates put the global homeless rate at 150 million people, but the real figure is difficult to measure — nations around the world define homelessness differently. Being ‘homeless’ is more than just sleeping on the streets. The concept of home has social, emotional and security dimensions that are intrinsic to its definition. A sheltered person can still be homeless.
A home, then, provides intangible support, including mental health benefits.
Mental health was added to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. The World Health Organization estimates that 450 million people suffer from mental health disorders, and this number is rising. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds. People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely due to preventable physical conditions.
Access to warm, dry, secure, long-term housing is key to mental health. Architecture, views of greenery, security, privacy and affordability all have been shown to have mental health benefits.
Good design can come from traditional knowledge and practices just as well as from ‘starchitects’ in global centres. The challenge for the world is implementing locally appropriate ideas in our already crowded urban spaces.
The flow-on benefits for society at large are more than just a few prize-winning grand designs. If a person is 'homed', they have a longer-term chance of mental and physical health.
REALITY CHECK
In developed economies, around 70 percent of people’s time is spent inside their home.
By 2050 there will be 280 billion square metres more buildings than today — primarily in Asia.
More than 450 million people suffer from a mental disorder, according to the World Health Organization. And this number is expected to increase.
By 2050 more than two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in a city.
BIG IDEAS
Quote attributable to David Jenkins, Otago University: "When being ‘not homeless’ specifies only a minimally secure legal relationship between a person and a private space where she can sleep, bathe and eat, the social dimensions of that place are obscured. More specifically, the rights that a person may have to those social dimensions of ‘home’ go missing."
Quote attributable to Eka Permanasari, Monash University Australia: "A city is not sustainable unless its residents are resilient and healthy."
Quote attributable to Yvonne Jewkes, Bath University: "With incarceration rates on the rise globally, prison architects could look to pioneering healthcare centres for inspiration on how to do things differently."
PERSPECTIVES
Inside out: why Balinese homes are so loved Ni Wayan Meidayanti Mustika, University of Warmadewa Indonesia Communal spaces and a connection to the outdoors make traditional Balinese homes a template for the green design of the future. Putting the heart back into home Hannah Absalom, University of Birmingham The process of allocating housing to the homeless in the UK involves a calculus in which the emotional concept of ‘home’ does not feature. Rethinking prisons for the people they house Yvonne Jewkes and Holly Dempsey, University of Bath An architecturally designed prison with light, views and nature seems fanciful. But growing evidence shows that it may aid rehabilitation. Greening the city to prevent mental illness Kristine Engemann, Aarhus University Trees, grass and greenery lower the risk of mental health problems. It’s a lesson city planners need to learn. Being housed is not the same as having a home David Jenkins, Otago University, and Kimberley Brownlee, University of British Columbia ‘Home’ is not only a place to sleep. Well-being comes from the social aspects of home just as much as from four walls and a roof.
A place to breathe in jam-packed Jakarta Eka Permanasari, Monash University Australia Jakarta’s high-rise settlements are the most crowded places in Southeast Asia. New community centres provide vital outdoor space for a hemmed-in population. No place to call home: Tongans hard hit by New Zealand's housing crisis Gemma Malungahu, ANU Tongans are being pushed to extremes as affordable housing grows scarce. New Zealand needs a Pacific Housing Strategy to address this escalating crisis. How cold is too cold? Getting home temperatures right Rochelle Ade, University of Auckland Policies worldwide focus on heating homes to a minimum temperature that has no evidence to support it. They cause vulnerable people needless distress.
