There are many solutions to homelessness, including:
Permanent supportive housing
Federal housing assistance, such as public housing and Section 8 vouchers
Increasing access to job training and employment
Helping people pay for housing in the short term
Helping people access services to stay in housing
Preventing homelessness by helping people find alternate housing arrangements
Homelessness can expose people to serious health risks and make it difficult to access health care.

People are homeless when they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or places not meant for habitation, such as an abandoned building.
In the United States, there are over half a million people experiencing homelessness. The top four causes of homelessness are lack of affordable housing, relationship breakdown, substance abuse, and a previous experience of family homelessness.
Nearly three-quarters of people experiencing homelessness are adults aged 25 or older, and 18% are children under the age of 18. Other groups of people who are more likely to become homeless include people with physical and mental disabilities, people experiencing alcoholism and substance use, women, children, and youth, and seniors.
The four types of homelessness are transitional, episodic, chronic, and hidden.

There are many reasons why people become homeless, including:
Lack of affordable housing
Unemployment
Poverty
Mental illness
Substance abuse
Domestic violence
Job loss
Foreclosure
Post-traumatic stress
Relationship breakdown
Lack of qualifications
Family background issues
A traumatic event
The inability to pay for needed health-care
A criminal background that got in the way of finding a job
There are also individual factors that can lead to homelessness, such as a lack of qualifications, relationship breakdown, or substance abuse.

There are four types of homelessness:
Chronic homelessness
The most common type, where someone is homeless for over a year

Episodic homelessness
Where someone experiences three episodes of homelessness within a year

Transitional homelessness
A popular misconception is that homelessness is a chronic condition

Hidden homelessness
A type of homelessness that presents its own set of challenges such as living in cars

The top causes of homelessness among families are:
Lack of affordable housing
Unemployment
Poverty
Low wages
Other factors that contribute to homelessness include:
Income and housing affordability
Escaping violence
Impact of racial disparities

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homelessness as individuals or families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes people who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, such as a public or private place, or in a shelter.

HUD also considers people homeless if they are losing their primary nighttime residence within 14 days and lack resources or support networks to remain in housing. This includes people who are staying with friends, but cannot stay there for longer than 14 days.

HUD has four categories of homelessness:
Literally homeless
Imminent risk of homelessness
Homeless under other federal statutes
Fleeing/attempting to flee domestic violence

Homelessness is the state of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It can include living on the streets, sleeping in doorways, or staying with friends or relatives.
Homelessness can be caused by social factors like poverty, unemployment, and a lack of affordable housing. People can also become homeless after leaving prison, care, or the army with no home to go to.
In the United States, there are four categories of homelessness:
Transitional homelessness
Episodic homelessness
Chronic homelessness
Hidden homelessness