Hobohemia

The project focuses on the time and space of homeless individuals in relation to the conditions of a post-socialist city. Its goal is to describe the characteristics, life trajectories, and daily routines of homeless people in the context of two Czech cities. The project is unique in several ways. It is the first comparative research on homelessness in the Czech Republic, focusing on previously neglected topics, such as the specific timing and activities of homeless individuals. By working with homeless people from various categories of homelessness, it offers a fresh perspective on the dynamics of living within these groups. The combination of research methods used in the project is also distinctive. As one of the few in Europe, it employs empirical GPS devices to study mobility. In the Czech Republic, it introduces the previously unused method of Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) for surveys. These surveys and structured interviews are complemented by ethnography and photovoice. The project places a strong emphasis on the active participation of homeless individuals in data collection. Among its many outcomes, the project offers visually compelling, unique data on the street situation.