Kearns, R. A., & Smith, C. J.
Health Homelessness
The Professional Geographer, 46(4), 418-424
1994
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This article maps interconnections between housing, homelessness, and mental health from a geographical perspective.
The authors propose a framework for geographical inquiry into these intertwined issues, examining what they call literal, incipient, and metaphorical homelessness, as this set of differentiations provides a more nuanced way of understanding homelessness as a cognitive process and status. The authors survey the research conducted previously with the aim of suggesting new pathways to explore homelessness, and mental health. As they note, homelessness is more complex than simply not having a home, and requires a more nuanced analytical approach. The paper highlights the significance of place, location, and spatial distribution in shaping the experiences and challenges faced by those with mental health issues within the context of housing and homelessness. While the article does not focus specifically on Māori, it does note that the Māori experience of homelessness includes the loss of land and consequent impacts on turangawaewae, outlining how the centrality of land to identity and wellbeing means that for Māori their mental health is inherently connected to the land. This paper provides a rather brief examination though the focus on different forms of homelessness provides a potentially useful framework.
