How do you define homeless?

The BBC are confusing me

Do they define homeless as the person in their picture that accompanies the story?

It seems a good descriptive to me. A chap in the street with a homeless sign.

Or do they define it as their headline?

Homeless households up by a fifth, figures show

What is a homeless household? Surely that is a contradiction in terms?

Or do they class it by this statement from the article?

Some 12,830 families and individuals were newly classed as homeless between 1 October and 31 December 2011.

What does 'newly classed' mean? It doesn't mean people who have lost their homes does it. It means someone has moved the goalposts and now another 12,830 families fall into the bracket.

So what is the bracket?

The official homelessness figures, which include those in temporary accommodation, show a rise for four quarters in a row.
 "Some may be priced out of the housing market, forced to bring up their families in a revolving door of private let after private let.

It seems that people in rented accommodation are now classed as homeless. We rented for a few years until we could afford a house. We weren't homeless. Of course these figures come from 'Shelter'. Another fake charity dependent on taxpayer handouts. It's obviously in their best interests to have the homeless figures as high as they can possibly make them.

So how do you define homeless? I used to remember when it meant you lived in the streets or in charity hostels.

Whatever it means now, I know we can take these figures with a pinch of salt.*








*Figures not to be taken with salt. Salt causes high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.