Pathways to homelessness among older people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil’s rapid development has led to profound social and economic stresses. It is one of the world’s most unequal countries; the poorest 20% share just 2% of the nation’s income. A third of the population lives in extreme poverty, unemployment is high and a quarter of all jobs are in the informal sector. Ten million people are aged 65 and over in Brazil, comprising 6% of the population There are no reliable estimates of the number of homeless persons in Brazil, where rural poverty, rural-to-urban migration and income inequality are all likely to contribute to homelessness. The discourse on homelessness in Brazil is currently dominated by the landless rural poor and the plight of street children; the large numbers of urban street-dwellers are given relatively little attention. This research investigated pathways into homelessness for older people through a survey of all older residents of public hostels in Rio de Janeiro.