The nature of homelessness: Characterization of homelessness as a policy problem


Carter Tongs, Carleton University

Policy problems arise when conditions in society are different from the desired state of affairs necessitating policy responses. Policy solutions are shaped by the way that policy problems are defined. Creating effective policy solutions requires that policymakers develop a comprehensive frame of the problem they are attempting to address. The frames through which policymakers perceive policy problems can have significant consequences for affected populations, particularly if those populations are vulnerable. Incomplete or inaccurate characterizations of policy problems may lead policymakers to develop ineffective policy solutions, disadvantaging vulnerable groups. Thus, the frame through which affected populations understand policy problems can provide invaluable information about the efficacy of policy strategies and inform the improvement of these policy solutions. Homelessness is one such policy problem that has received increasing attention in Canada, prompting the development of policy strategies at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Despite efforts to address homelessness through government policies, many cities such as Ottawa have experienced an increase in the prevalence of homelessness, indicating that current policy approaches to addressing homelessness are ineffective. Previous research examining the effect of framing on the development of policies to address homelessness has focused on how the definition and discourses about individuals experiencing homelessness impact policy responsiveness, funding allocation, and enumeration. Studies seeking the perspectives of individuals experiencing homelessness tend to focus on barriers to service access, often indicating that policies create and sustain many of these barriers. However, there has been less attention paid to how the framing of homelessness within policy and the resulting solutions align with the needs and perceptions of the problem from the perspectives of those with lived experience. This project aims to contribute to this gap in the literature by asking how the characterization of homelessness in the Ottawa 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan compares to the perspective of those experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. Using Erving Goffman’s concept of frames and Guy Peters’ theory of problem characterization, this study will describe and compare the frames through which homelessness is characterized in the Ottawa Plan and by people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. I will engage in a qualitative content analysis informed by Peters’ theory to analyze The Plan and its related documents. First-hand experience of perspectives of homelessness in the city will be obtained through focus groups with people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. This research focuses on the city of Ottawa as a case study because the responsibility for developing policy responses to homelessness rests with municipal governments in Ontario. Collaboration with a panel of lived experts through a local advocacy organization ensures that this research is community-informed and minimizes the risk of harm to participants. By highlighting differences in the framing of homelessness between policy and the Ottawa homeless population, this research seeks to enhance policymakers’, service providers’, and researchers’ understanding of homelessness. The results of this research have the potential to inform the improvement of future policies to address homelessness in Ottawa. Ultimately, this study seeks to bridge the gap between policy frames and lived experiences, fostering more inclusive and effective policy responses to homelessness in Ottawa and advancing broader sociological understandings of policy framing and homelessness.

This paper will be presented at the following session: