Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-31-2026
Abstract
In search of the best approach to eradicating homelessness in underdeveloped countries with large populations, we conducted interviews with professionals involved in different models of helping the unhoused. Although it has been established that the Housing First model combined with human services is the best model to end homelessness, the cost of housing might be prohibitive for many national governments. In situations where governments are over-whelmed by the numbers of homeless people, communities and organizations develop specific methods and practices to meet the needs of unhoused individuals. For the purpose of this paper, phenomenological research was undertaken to learn how societies in different countries respond to homelessness. We examined how international cooperation and assistance might be a potential support or a hindrance, and evaluated the practicality of international voluntarism. Social responses to homelessness in different countries were studied, and the role of the local culture on the choices of practice methods was evaluated. The importance of an asset-based community approach in developing organic social programs was also demonstrated. The findings suggest that community assets and resources should be utilized by national programs to support access to safe housing.
Keywords
favela, asset-based community development, international assistance, voluntarism
Language
English
Publication Title
Military Physician
Rights
© 2026 Military Institute of Medicine – National Research Institute. This is an open access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareALike (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits non-commercial reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and any derivative works are distributed under the same license as the original.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Romaniuk, J. R. & Lanjewar, P. (2026). An international approach to homelessness. Part II. Slums demolition or upgrading?. Military Physician, 104(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.53301/lw/204972
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version