The Research Behind Deconstructing Homelessness

"We don't want to amplify certain voices"

This statement was received in late 2023 after submitting an application to serve on a Western Australian Government reference group. It triggered significant self-consciousness throughout 2024 — but also triggered internal change: pursuing a PhD and creating a course that combines teaching with research.

"If you don't want to amplify my voice, I will amplify it myself. If you don't want me to have a seat at the table, I create a seat for myself. If you remove my seat, I will create my own table."

Course Philosophy

The course aims to reframe the discussion about homelessness — not as individual failure, but as evidence of complex systemic failures. It seeks to correct perceived power imbalances affecting those who have experienced homelessness.

It Starts With a Definition

Homelessness lacks a clear, coherent definition beyond dictionary entries — which is itself problematic, because its complexity is left open to wide interpretation.

Problems with Existing Definitions

• "Without a home" is too broad — it includes couch surfers.
• "Home" is subjective and culturally dependent.
• "Unhoused" reduces systemic failures to purely housing issues.

Vapor's Definition of Homelessness (2025)

Homelessness is a social and economic construct that consists of a state of being where social, political and (or) economic needs and autonomy have either never existed or have been systematically removed and (or) eroded.

This state is comprised of trauma(s) that have severely limited one's ability to participate socially, politically and economically. It limits agency through continued deprivation and disadvantage. It doesn't occur in isolation; it is a side effect of wider systemic issues.

It endures, not because of those that experience it, but because social, political and economic systems either permit it or are unable or unwilling to change. Homelessness isn't created by the homeless, it's curated — either purposely or accidentally — by sets of conditions enabled and perpetuated by wider society.