Understanding the Nexus between Poverty and Homelessness: Relational Poverty Analysis of Families Experiencing Homelessness in Australia

This article aims to improve understanding of the nexus between poverty and homelessness, with a particular focus on families with children. It draws on relational poverty analysis which analyses the processes, structures and social relations which create and sustain poverty. The article is based on a longitudinal and qualitative study of Australian families with children during and after periods of homelessness, which found that the families experienced not only a lack of material resources but also the social and other processes that impoverish, exclude and disempower, including exposure to violence, lack of family and institutional support, and pressure to relinquish children. The participants had a strong social identity as families and actively resisted the marginalization and individuation processes they encountered. The article argues that conceptualizing homelessness as a process of 'destitution' can provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between poverty and homelessness which to date remains remarkably unexplored.