Homelessness is a global phenomenon affecting individuals from a biopsychosocial perspective (Genç et al., 2022). According to the UN Human Rights Commission Report and the UNECE (2018) panel results, there are approximately 100 million homeless individuals worldwide. This number accounts for more than 2% of the global population (UNECE, 2018, pp. 2-3). Jiménez-Lérida et al. (2023) reported that over 20% of the global population lacks proper or adequate housing. Additionally, 1.6 billion people live under inadequate conditions in slums or institutions under state protection (Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, 2015, pp. 3-13). 

Homeless individuals are a disadvantaged social group experiencing numerous problems simultaneously and multidimensionally (Aynacı, 2024, p. 51). The challenging processes they endure necessitate the implementation of various intervention programmes and combat strategies for homelessness. Services for the homeless are divided into preventive (early intervention) and protective (rehabilitative, restorative) services.

Preventive services focus on identifying risk situations and supporting individuals at risk of homelessness before it occurs through various interventions, while protective services involve providing shelter, rehabilitation, and support to individuals after homelessness has occurred (Aynacı, 2024, pp. 80, 82). Preventive services may include reducing housing costs, applying tax reductions, providing discounts on health services, and offering assistance to family members (Shinn, 2004, p. 458). Protective services include providing soup kitchens, vocational training, counselling services, addiction education programmes/diagnosis and treatment, and personal care assistance (Evans, 2011, p. 26).

Another dimension of protective service pertains to shelter-related services (Bekaroğlu-Doğan, 2020, p. 27). These services involve providing overnight care and meeting the needs of the homeless in various shelter institutions. Types of shelters include emergency shelters, temporary/permanent/supportive housing, paid accommodation, and gymnasiums (Harvey, 1999, p. 277). Shelters are often the first institutions that come to mind when discussing homelessness. They offer a place for the homeless to sleep, provide meals, showers, personal care, and protect them from street dangers while offering opportunities for social interaction with other homeless individuals (Aynacı, 2024, p. 83).

Shelters are categorised into three types: “night shelters,” “day centres” / “drop-in centres,” and “full-day shelters/hostels” (Aynacı, 2024, p. 83). Each type of shelter has distinct characteristics and dynamics. Although these shelters provide various services to the homeless, the increasing number of homeless individuals has prompted discussions about shelter services.

In recent years, shelter services for the homeless have been a prominent topic of discussion in the literature. The main focus of these discussions is whether priority should be given to housing models (Housing First model) or rehabilitation models (Staircase model) and what should be included in these models (McNaughton, 2008, p. 88; Roman & Berg, 2004, p. 343). While these questions improve institutional models for the homeless, they do not offer specific solutions or inquiries about shelters. The content and development of services in shelters, which are the first institutions associated with institutional models for the homeless, are considered crucial for the psychosocial well-being of the homeless.

The aim of this research is to explore the experiences of the homeless with shelters and to provide social work recommendations for shelters and the homeless based on the findings. The study employs a qualitative research method and an interpretive phenomenological design. The population of the study consists of homeless individuals in Kocaeli, Turkey, while the sample group comprises 30 homeless individuals selected through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview form and technique. The sample includes individuals with various types of homelessness: those still living on the street, those living in shelters, those who returned to shelters after overcoming homelessness, and those who went directly to shelters upon becoming homeless. In the study, all individuals are categorised as homeless regardless of their previous living conditions. Each of these individuals, regardless of living on the street, had different experiences with shelters.

The main research question of the study is: “What are the experiences of the homeless with shelters?” Additionally, the study seeks to answer the following questions:

• Through which intermediaries have the homeless been placed in shelters?
• What difficulties do the homeless encounter in shelters?
• What are the expectations of the homeless from shelters?

The research was conducted in accordance with the “08” number permission obtained from the Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee of Sakarya University, Turkey, dated June 7, 2023. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview form created by the researcher, and the analysis techniques were descriptive and content analysis. Audio recordings from the interviews were transcribed, and parts of the data such as words, sentences, or paragraphs were coded. Subsequently, concepts were categorised, and related concepts were grouped into categories. Similarly, related categories were analysed under a broader theme. The study identified three main themes: “intermediaries,” “difficulties,” and “expectations.” The findings are summarised as follows: 

• Homeless individual access shelter facilities through various means, including referrals from other homeless individuals, social network actors, shelter employees, security personnel, and personal applications. The role of other homeless individuals in disseminating information about shelters indicates social networks and social capital patterns within the homeless community. These practises can also be interpreted as the outcomes of a homelessness subculture. The involvement of social network actors in guiding homeless individuals to shelters reflects societal sensitivity towards homelessness. Furthermore, the role of shelter employees and/or security personnel, such as police and municipal officers, in facilitating access to shelters highlights the implementation of demand-driven social services. Personal applications by homeless individuals indicate an awareness of their rights and citizenship.
• The challenges faced by homeless individuals in shelters include issues related to rules, staff attitudes and behaviours, adaptation difficulties, material provisions, lack of standards, technical problems, and accessibility. Rules within institutions are often restrictive for street homeless individuals, limiting their perceived freedom and deterring them from using shelters. Negative attitudes and behaviours exhibited by shelter staff contribute to feelings of worthlessness among homeless individuals, reinforcing the marginalisation they experience in society and within their personal lives.
• Among the homeless population, there are individuals who struggle to adapt to others in the shelter. Those who previously enjoyed above-average living standards were often hesitant to live in shelters and tend to stigmatise other homeless individuals, perceiving them as inferior. This stigmatisation leads to communication breakdowns and an inability to adapt to the shelter environment. Additionally, some homeless individuals, due to concerns over safety and selfcontrol, perceive shelters as insecure and avoid them altogether. 
• The quantity and quality of materials provided to the homeless often result in cleanliness and hygiene issues over time. Inadequate hygiene conditions lead to a loss of self-confidence, acceptance of uncleanliness, and social adaptation problems, ultimately paving the way for social exclusion.
• The lack of standardised practises among shelters affects the level of satisfaction with the services provided and the motivation of homeless individuals to overcome homelessness. The reasons for these inconsistencies include variations in resources across countries, cities, and regions; the absence of standard social policies targeting homelessness; and insufficient theoretical and practical knowledge among public personnel regarding homelessness.
• Homeless individuals’ expectations from shelters include psychosocial support, healthcare services, hygiene and cleanliness, social activities, and sustained institutional support.
• The harsh conditions of homelessness adversely affect the biopsychosocial health of homeless individuals. Consequently, they require a psychosocial support unit where they can express themselves, communicate openly, and receive professional assistance, as well as a healthcare unit to address urgent health needs, provide treatments, and dispense medication. Homeless individuals believe that these units would enhance their biopsychosocial well-being.
• Psychosocial support units play a critical role in empowering individuals, providing proper guidance, fostering personal and societal trust, encouraging community participation, and facilitating self-actualisation. Among homeless individuals, physical health is closely linked to mental health. Feelings of physical inadequacy negatively impact self-esteem and prevent homeless individuals from realising their potential.
• Among the most significant challenges faced during homelessness are issues related to cleanliness and hygiene. These include the general cleanliness of shelters, the cleanliness of homeless individuals’ bodies and clothing, and the maintenance of rooms and beds, all of which shape their expectations regarding hygiene in shelters.
• The social activity expectations of homeless individuals aim to address their psychosocial and mental needs. They desire shelters to organise periodic social activities tailored for them, as such activities are perceived as mitigating the negative emotions and thoughts experienced during homelessness.
• Homeless individuals who are elderly, suffer from chronic illnesses, have limited or no income, possess weak or non-existent family ties, lack caregivers, are unable to work, or have low future aspirations exhibit very low or no motivation to escape homelessness. These individuals often expect a sustained shelter life, as their basic needs are met, and their future expectations remain minimal.

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proposed regarding the content, scope, and operation of shelters: 

• Homeless individuals should be approached not merely as applicants but with a value-oriented and humane perspective, ensuring that their basic human needs are not overlooked. Shelters should be transformed into empowering mechanisms that have a positive impact on the lives of homeless individuals.
• Shelters should be established not on the outskirts or peripheral areas of cities but in locations where homeless individuals can meet their psychosocial needs. When designing shelters, the profiles of homeless individuals should be considered, prioritising horizontal architecture over high-rise buildings. Although the high value of central urban areas in metropolitan cities may pose challenges for local governments, shelter locations should facilitate the active participation of homeless individuals in society.
• The internal and external structures of shelters (e.g., walls, rooms, cabinets) should be monitored regularly, and necessary repairs and renovations should be carried out in case of deterioration. In addition, routine cleaning and pest control in shelters are crucial for institutional identity and hygiene.
• In cases where homeless individuals lack a registered address, the shelters should ensure that the necessary processes are initiated to help them access their rights. Moreover, informational materials should be provided to enhance their awareness of rights and citizenship.
• Dedicated units should be established within shelters to address the psychosocial and spiritual needs of homeless individuals as well as their healthcare requirements. Professional personnel should staff these units.
• Shelters should employ a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including social workers, psychologists, counsellors, sociologists, spiritual advisors, and healthcare personnel. Each staff member should perform intervention plans and programmes tailored to homeless individuals in line with their professional roles and multidisciplinary.
• To support the social integration of homeless individuals, volunteer activities and workers should be incorporated into shelter services, with voluntary participation encouraged. The role of prosocial communication in shelter services should be emphasised. The presence of volunteers in shelters can have a dual benefit, positively affecting not only homeless individuals but also enhancing the services and the well-being of shelter staff.
• Professionals working in shelters should know social work theories and practises, be culturally competent, and be informed about anti-stigmatising social work practises. Additionally, they should enhance their verbal and nonverbal communication skills and avoid negative attitudes, behaviours, and communication patterns towards homeless individuals.
• Shelters should establish workshops in suitable areas where homeless individuals can participate in social activities and develop life skills. The progress of homeless individuals who acquire skills in these workshops should be monitored, and shelters should act as intermediaries to prepare them for reintegration into life. Periodic social activities and events organised outside the shelter by shelter management are also deemed important for empowering homeless individuals. Such initiatives can positively contribute to behaviour, emotional, and cognitive changes and to the processes of community integration and social inclusion.
• To facilitate the employment of homeless individuals, shelters should collaborate with NGOs, public employment agencies (e.g., İŞKUR), and similar institutions to support the inclusion of employable homeless individuals in the workforce. Those seeking education should be directed to vocational training programmes. Expanding the successful collaboration practises observed in various cities across the country to a national level would yield more favourable outcomes in both the employment process and its subsequent monitoring.
• Homeless individuals who do not meet the entry requirements for shelters should not be immediately excluded from the shelter system. Instead, after assessing their needs, they should be referred to appropriate institutions capable of providing the necessary care.