What is ‘rootlessness’?

What is ‘rootlessness’ and why do we need to consider those who are rootless as well as those who are homeless?

We use the term rootless to describe a state of not having the things that most people would associate with having a home.  For most of us a home as well as being a physical place that meets certain physical needs  also meets many psychological and emotional needs.  If those needs are not being met we would describe someone as rootless.  We use the term rootless as it expresses the feeling of having nowhere to belong and nowhere to call home.  This state is usually brought about by a lack of meaningful relationships in life which causes a sense of emotional and/or psychological isolation.

In practice we can come across people who are housed (most street homeless people are in a state of rootlessness) but rootless in two main ways:

• Our aim is to support individuals to a point at which they no longer need support. So that means for most of our homeless service users simply having a home, in its most basic form, would not signify a point at which they no longer needed support. Although they might have adequate housing they probably still have many (complex) support needs that we would aim to offer support with. So someone moving out of homelessness is not likely to move out of rootlessness simultaneously. So we most commonly come across rootlessness in the form of ex-homeless service users.
• The other point to consider is that for most people who become homeless there is generally a period of rootlessness that precedes this. It is the point at which an individual has lost meaningful relationships, and feels isolated that they are most in danger of slipping into homelessness. Some people might be rootless for many years, or even indefinitely without moving into homelessness, but for many it is a pathway into homelessness if their rootlessness is not relieved.

So in conclusion, to be rootless is in itself a state that we would want to support individuals to address.  It is a state of social isolation that is often characterised by social exclusion.  But more than this it is also characteristic of a state people must move through whilst addressing their support needs as they move out of homelessness to a point at which they no longer need support.  It is also an indicator of an individual being in danger of becoming homeless and therefore in need of addressing in terms of homelessness prevention work.

What is ‘rootlessness’ and why do we need to consider those who are rootless as well as those who are homeless?

We use the term rootless to describe a state of not having the things that most people would associate with having a home.  For most of us a home as well as being a physical place that meets certain physical needs  also meets many psychological and emotional needs.  If those needs are not being met we would describe someone as rootless.  We use the term rootless as it expresses the feeling of having nowhere to belong and nowhere to call home.  This state is usually brought about by a lack of meaningful relationships in life which causes a sense of emotional and/or psychological isolation.

In practice we can come across people who are housed (most street homeless people are in a state of rootlessness) but rootless in two main ways:

• Our aim is to support individuals to a point at which they no longer need support. So that means for most of our homeless service users simply having a home, in its most basic form, would not signify a point at which they no longer needed support. Although they might have adequate housing they probably still have many (complex) support needs that we would aim to offer support with. So someone moving out of homelessness is not likely to move out of rootlessness simultaneously. So we most commonly come across rootlessness in the form of ex-homeless service users.
• The other point to consider is that for most people who become homeless there is generally a period of rootlessness that precedes this. It is the point at which an individual has lost meaningful relationships, and feels isolated that they are most in danger of slipping into homelessness. Some people might be rootless for many years, or even indefinitely without moving into homelessness, but for many it is a pathway into homelessness if their rootlessness is not relieved.

So in conclusion, to be rootless is in itself a state that we would want to support individuals to address.  It is a state of social isolation that is often characterised by social exclusion.  But more than this it is also characteristic of a state people must move through whilst addressing their support needs as they move out of homelessness to a point at which they no longer need support.  It is also an indicator of an individual being in danger of becoming homeless and therefore in need of addressing in terms of homelessness prevention work