Homeless people

This survey focuses on the category homeless people aged between 18 and 65. Homeless people sleep rough, in covered public areas, like porches, bicycle sheds, railway stations and shopping malls or in cars. If they have a roof over their heads, they sleep in homeless shelters, emergency centres for homeless people where they can only spend one night or on an irregular basis with friends, acquaintances or relatives.

Survey set-up
The total number of homeless in the Netherlands is estimated on the basis of three registers on homeless people and an estimate based on the so-called capture-recapture approach. This method was initially applied in biology to estimate population sizes of certain animal species by means of taking repeated samples. Registers are often used instead of samples. The overlap between the registers is considered as recapture.
An overall estimate uses statistical models, including the following background characteristics: gender, age, ethnic origin and current geographical location. The distribution of these characteristics is based on the distribution in the entire (estimated) population of homeless (more than 27 thousand). Figures for the variable ‘marital status’ are based on the observed distribution in the registrations, so without estimate/extrapolation. Estimates are subject to a margin of error. The estimates over 2010, 2011 and 2012 cannot be compared to the estimate over 2009 due to the fact that registration methods have been improved over the last three years.

Sources
CBS, WWB uitkeringen volgens het besluit adreslozen (peildatum 1 januari van het rapportagejaar)
CBS, gekoppeld register adressen opvangvoorzieningen en GBA (peildatum 1 januari van het rapportagejaar)
Stichting Informatievoorziening Zorg (IVZ), Landelijk Alcohol en Drugs Informatiesysteem (LADIS; peildatum 1 januari van het rapportagejaar).