Homelessness is a continuing phenomenon in all western countries and in Britain it has been particularly visible among young people (but to a lesser extent in Sweden). In Britain, the number of homeless people rose substantially during the 1980s and 1990s. While the numbers fell in the early part of the present century, they started to increase again after the financial crash in 2007, in line with the growing unemployment. In Sweden, homelessness has been less of a problem and has received less political or media attention than in Britain (Nordfeldt, 2012). However, problems in accessing affordable housing in the 1990s and in recent years, particularly for immigrants and for single parent families and others on benefits, have raised the political profile of the issue and there are moves to change the predominant approach to embrace the ‘Housing First’ model pioneered in the US.

There are many discourses surrounding the definition of homelessness, its perceived causes and the appropriate ways of dealing with it. As we shall see in the chapter, these discourses have varied between Britain and Sweden, and this has led to very different policies and practical approaches in the two countries. However, in both countries, models of supported housing are seen as part of the solution to the homelessness problem, although the models used and their objectives are different. The comparison between the experience in the two countries provides insight into the different roles that supported housing can play in response to the different objectives sought and the impact this has on the types of supported housing provided.

The homeless category hides a wide variety of needs and problems, and attributes such as age and ethnicity. Some people may just lack housing, but others may have other problems, such as drug abuse or mental ill-health. Some may be young people who have just left home and have problems in accessing appropriate housing, while others may be older people who have been homeless for some time, and yet others families with children. As we shall see, discourses and policy can vary between these different categories.