The invisibility of rural homelessness in a canadian context

Abstract

The spread of poverty in rural areas in Western countries has given rise to new realities leading to a rethinking of the concept of poverty and its extreme manifestations. This article will illuminate an invisible form of rural poverty, that has received scant study yet remains an emerging phenomenon – rural homelessness. Based on a study conducted in a rural setting (Montérégie, Québec, Canada), the notion of visibility was employed to understand how the lack of recognition of homeless people’s experiences, both materially and symbolically, reinforces their invisibility thereby truncating political action to develop appropriate responses. Further, we illustrate that this phenomenon hampers homeless people ability to speak up about the challenges they face, further reinforcing their invisibility. We close with recommendations, strategies and actions, for preventing and reducing rural homelessness.