Homelessness represents one of the most complex expressions of social vulnerability, extending well beyond the mere absence of shelter. It is a multidimensional condition involving economic, psychological, legal, and relational factors. In this regard, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) has proposed a comprehensive definition of homelessness, highlighting three essential dimensions of housing: physical, social, and legal. As Edgar (2009) notes, having a home implies three conditions: firstly, the access to adequate accommodation; secondly, the ability to maintain social ties within a private space; and finally, the possession of legal tenure that ensures stability and protection.
Building on the work of Busch-Geertsema, Culhane, and Fitzpatrick (2016), this special issue adopts a differentiated understanding of homelessness, encompassing three broad categories: the total absence of shelter, residence in temporary or emergency facilities, and housing under precarious or insecure conditions. The aim is to move beyond a narrow conception of homelessness as extreme poverty, by drawing attention to less visible but equally relevant forms of housing exclusion. These forms are related young people’s exclusion from the housing market, the inaccessibility of mortgage lending, the instability linked to short-term rentals, and housing precarity within domestic contexts (hidden domestic marginalization).
This special issue invites theoretical and empirical contributions that explore current transformations in the right to housing, urban policies, and territorial governance strategies. We particularly welcome analyses that engage with practices of resistance and adaptation enacted by unhoused individuals, as well as with situated knowledges and narratives which emerge from lived experiences of social marginality.
Topics of interest
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- The right to housing in the context of economic crisis and new vulnerabilities (e.g. precarious youth, migrants, socially isolated elderly)
- Hidden domestic marginalization and domestic forms of housing precarity
- The impact of tourism and short-term rentals on the displacement of vulnerable populations
- Legal aspects of residency and registration
- The affective and relational dimensions of housing
- Digital tools, artificial intelligence, and big (large) data: between governance and the reproduction of housing inequalities
- Collaborative housing strategies (co-housing, solidarity-based condominiums)
- New models of social housing and land-sparing urban regeneration
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts (maximum 5,000 characters) must be submitted by 15 October 2025 to the following email address: mariaalessandra.mole@uniroma3.it and ampaola.toti@uniroma1.it. Authors will be notified of acceptance by 31 October 2025. Selected papers will subsequently undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s evaluation criteria for the publication.
Abstract submission: 15 October 2025
Acceptance: 31 October 2025
Manuscript submission: 31 January 2026
Estimated publication: July 2026
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