The commitment of governments in the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000) to eradicate poverty and hunger and to provide adequate housing for citizens, together with the designation of October 10 as the World Homeless Day by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) since 1986, reflects the growing concern of states regarding the increasing number of homeless individuals as a significant social problem. This study aims to examine the model, dominant approach, and dimensions of the criminal policy of Iran and the United States in addressing homelessness. It seeks to answer the following questions: What approaches do these countries adopt in their criminal policy toward homelessness, and to what extent have these policies been effective?
Using a descriptive-analytical method and examining relevant laws, regulations, and existing practices, the study analyzes both penal and non-penal responses to homelessness. The findings indicate that, depending on the type and model of criminal policy adopted by each country—which are influenced by their ideological foundations as well as political, economic, religious, and cultural choices—a variety of responses, including criminal, administrative, civil, and other measures, have been developed to address homelessness.
Furthermore, the results suggest that neither penal nor non-penal interventions have been sufficiently effective in reducing the homeless population. This situation has led to the adoption of treatment-oriented and problem-solving approaches characterized by close cooperation between judicial and healthcare systems, as well as the integration of punishment and treatment through the establishment of problem-solving courts in recent years. Evidence suggests that the strategies employed by homelessness problem-solving courts have been highly effective in reducing the number of homeless individuals.