Klaipėdos universitetas

This article analyzes the survival strategies of homeless men in the night shelters and in the street. Homeless people face social and economic lack of resources and because of that, their daily life is related with hope to meet their minimal needs: to find the shelter and food, to protect themselves from the cold and violence. The article presents empirical study the goal of which was to find out how the homeless people construct their hope to survive the homelessness on the streets and shelters. The results of the research show that homeless men use these survival strategies: in order to get food they go to the charity canteens, get food from their friends, try to buy food with their minimal incomes or beg in the streets. In order to protect themselves from the violence homeless men try to be open-eyed at any time of the day, take the role of “conflict fighter” or try to be brave and proud when there is a threat to their health. Trying to protect themselves from the cold homeless people look for the relevant things and find remote places to hide from wind and cold.