Homelessness and migration: The geography of homeless migrants in China

Homeless people have become more visible in China in recent years. However, research on Chinese homelessness in general and homeless migrants in particular is still very limited. Based on the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this pioneering exploration of the geography of homeless migrants in China arrives at three conclusions. First, although homeless migrants are often scorned as an underclass of derelict drifters, the majority are educated, married, and employed, sometimes temporarily. Second, although most homeless migrants congregate in the most developed coastal regions, the number of homeless migrants as a proportion of total migrants is relatively high in some remote provinces, with significant numbers residing in rural areas. Third, in addition to the three established drivers: the housing market, economic opportunity, and social support, prejudice towards the homeless is shown to be an important factor in the concentration of homeless migrants and their exclusion from urban society. This paper contributes to an understanding of homeless migrants in China and the factors accounting for their spatial distribution.