Ikhaya lami: understanding homelessness in Durban: Phase 1 report: a qualitative assessment of pathways, challenges, and services for people living on the streets and sleeping in shelters in central Durban

This report presents the findings of the qualitative phase of a mixed-method community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) project that investigated the circumstances of homelessness in Central Durban. The CBPAR project incorporates three research phases namely: a) qualitative, exploratory-descriptive, phase, b) a point-in-time census phase and, c) a policy roundtable discussion phase. We detail the subjective experiences, perspectives and understandings of persons who, at the time of the study, self-identified as homeless, street-living, or shelter-living. We also discuss government representatives' perspectives of homelessness and the availability of support initiatives for homeless individuals in Durban. Furthermore, this document preludes the conceptual understanding of homelessness that we embrace/adopt throughout this project and begins to unpack the implications of our qualitative work for practice and policy. The project was led by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and funded by the Safer Cities Unit of the eThekwini Municipality.