Metaphors and Evidence. Producing Numbers in National Homelessness Counts

It has been a couple of decades since attempts have been made to measure the extent of homelessness at national levels in Europe. While these counts are essential for public policymaking, producing such statistics also (re)produces power-knowledge. The definitions and categories used in homelessness surveys indicate how it is understood as a social problem. In Europe, the Nordic countries have some of the most reliable and current figures on homelessness. On the other hand, the Polish national homelessness count is highly criticized. This study compared the definitions, methodologies, and formats used in homelessness surveys from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Poland. This investigation involved analyses of the way counts were organized, the categories used, and the creation of reports based on homelessness data. This enabled a deconstruction of how welfare states have used these numbers as metaphors and evidence to frame homelessness as a manageable phenomenon