Homelessness, housing insecurity and social exclusion in China, Hong Kong, and Japan

The term social exclusion has been the catalyst for extensive debate regarding the nature of social differentiation in European capitalist societies (Jordan, 1996; Rodgers, Gore, & Figueriedo, 1995; Room, 1995) and is now widely used and differently interpreted (see Levitas, 1998) in national and international policy arenas. However, whilst there has been some examination of the value of the concept for exploring and explaining homelessness in East Asia (Iwata, 2006), the concept has had little influence on existing policy paradigms. This paper seeks to explore the nature, extent, and dynamics of housing insecurity and homelessness and its relationship with social exclusion in East Asia. It will consider the nature and dynamics of housing insecurity, homelessness, and regimes of inclusion, as well as the institutional and policy responses to dispossession in three East Asian societies: Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Japan.