The narrowest definition is rooflessness whereby only those without shelter of any kind should be considered homeless i.e. rough sleepers, victims of fire and floods. This also includes people who reside in long-term institutions i.e. psychiatric hospitals, as there is no suitable accommodation for them in the community.
Broader definitions link to the meaning of home literature.
Those who live in intolerable housing. This refers to people in overcrowded or substandard accommodation, and where there are threats to personal safety or psychological well being. The socially excluded have no political voice and have difficulty accessing care. It has been our experience that the heartsink phenomenon can be completely managed and does not need to be shied away from. To manage the phenomenon, we as primary care staff need to move away from a rigid medical model based on diagnosis, treatment, and cure to a soteriological model that goes beyond the clinical to acknowledge, and empathise with the full range of human suffering that presents at our surgeries.