$800,000 to study life of homeless people

Two Hamilton researchers plan to spend nearly $800,000 studying the culture and social networks of homeless people.

University of Waikato psychologists Dr Darrin Hodgetts and Linda Nikora will give 28 homeless people disposable cameras and ask them to take pictures of homelessness, social relationships and the use of public spaces.

The homeless will then be invited to talk about the photos they have taken. The researchers plan to also look at how people living on the streets get on with people who own or rent homes, and observe the reactions homeless people get from "housed people".