Abstract
The purpose of this study is to consider various problems related to support for the homeless by investigating the living conditions of formerly homeless individuals as they try to re-integrate themselves into mainstream society. While recent government policy has been aimed at clearing the streets of homeless people and placing them in sheltered accommodation, research carried out in 2003 by Sasashima clinic, a voluntary action group supporting the homeless in Nagoya city, suggests that formerly homeless individuals encounter major problems even after giving up their lives on the street. Specifically, they lack ties to social networks whether relatives, neighbors and friends who, in normal circumstances, might be able to help them to solve problems in their daily lives. In this regard, the problem of homelessness should not be viewed purely in terms of individuals losing their homes ; indeed, it is also an issue of individuals breaking their bonds with society at large. In this regard, our investigation suggests that support for homeless people should be aimed primarily at helping them to forge new relationships within society rather than merely getting them to stop sleeping rough on the street.
