Mel Young’s Mission: To End Homelessness Worldwide
| Mel Young Co-Founder and President of the Homeless World Cup Foundation at the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup Opening Ceremony |
Image: Anita Milas
Exclusive interview with Mel Young from the Cities Ending Homelessness Conference held at Hanyang University on Wednesday 25th September as part of the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup.
Mel spoke after the conference with Irish Journalist, Victor Flood who is based in Seoul:
Mel Young is on a mission to put himself out of a job and end homelessness globally. As the co-founder of the Homeless World Cup and Big Issue Scotland, Young’s vision is ambitious: to transform lives and reshape societal attitudes toward homelessness, one of the world’s most persistent crises.
The Homeless World Cup touched down in Seoul, South Korea for its 2024 edition in September and during the festival of football Young reflected on both the progress made and the challenges that remain.
Since its inception in 2003, the tournament has become a global movement, bringing together homeless people from across the world to compete, connect, and change their futures. But as Young explains, the deeper, systemic issues that cause homelessness differ significantly across regions, making it a complex issue to tackle.
|Mel Young welcoming delegates at the second Cities Ending Homelessness Conference held at the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup after the initiative was launched in Sacramento last July (2023) |
Diverse Definitions and Root Causes of Homelessness
One key insight Young offers is that homelessness looks different depending on where you are.“There’s no single international definition of homelessness,” he says. Early on, efforts were made by Homeless World Cup organisers to standardise the definition, but global diversity made that impossible.
Each Homeless World Cup Member Country (there are currently 70) now uses its own criteria to determine who qualifies as homeless and it works approximately with total trust put in the participating teams.
In some places, homelessness is highly visible—thousands living on the streets in dire conditions. Elsewhere, it’s hidden, with people in overcrowded or substandard housing, often unseen by the casual observer. Despite these differences, common factors emerge such as housing crises around the world with the situations often worsened by unemployment, family breakdowns, mental health struggles, and, at times, substance abuse.
Even in a wealthy, developed city like Seoul, homelessness exists largely out of sight. Narrow definitions of what homelessness is can keep figures low (data says there are under 3,000 homeless people in Seoul City which has a population of 10 million) but according to an LA Times report from last year 320,000 people in Korea’s capital live in inadequate lodgings and are effectively homeless.
And culture and attitudes within society also play a part, particularly in South Korea where the stigma associated with poverty and homelessness cuts deep. And while those perceptions won’t cause homelessness, they can contribute negatively to any willingness to solve the problem.
|L-R Chen Jun FIFA Development Manager, Elkhan Mammadov FIFA Director, Member Associations Europe and Mel Young at the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup Final |
Positive Change Through Sport
And that drives Young’s belief that sport can be a powerful tool for change. The Homeless World Cup is not just a football tournament; it’s a global movement that empowers individuals, providing them with confidence, support, and networks to rebuild their lives, hopefully changing perceptions in the process.
“What matters is seeing the change in the players,” Young says. The tournament gives homeless individuals the chance to represent their countries, build camaraderie, and showcase their skills. Often, this experience is transformative. “They’re great ambassadors for their own country and the issue of homelessness,” he adds, highlighting how the players challenge stereotypes.
And that is propped up by an overwhelming positivity that reverberates around the event despite some of the challenges faced. A coordinator from one of the teams explained that their hotel had cancelled its booking, something he said happened after the hotel became aware of who would be staying. There has also been some criticism over a lack of financial support from the host nation’s government as well as some difficulty attracting sponsors.
But Young is optimistic that these issues won’t dampen the spirits of players and staff who he believes remain focused on embodying the tournament’s overarching message: that homelessness does not define a person’s potential.
|A panel discussion at the Seoul 2024 Cities Ending Homelessness Conference held at Hanyang University |
A Global Systemic Failure
Young insists that homelessness can be completely eradicated but admits that there is a revolving wheel which replaces those helped with new people in need. He acknowledges that the Homeless World Cup Foundation alone cannot solve the problem. “It’s a global failure of the system,” he says, pointing to growing inequality, a lack of affordable housing, and insufficient mental health resources as major contributors.
In response, the Homeless World Cup launched the Cities Ending Homelessness initiative, which brings together policymakers, social entrepreneurs, and people who have experienced homelessness and academics to develop practical solutions. This initiative encourages cities to share successful strategies and scale them to foster innovation. However, Young recognizes that lasting change requires more than just funding — it demands a systemic shift in how societies address homelessness.
“We need to change the system,” Young says. “And if people want to criticise me for being naïve, that’s fine. But I believe we could do that.” His vision is a world where homelessness no longer exists, but he knows getting there will require more than just money—it will need creative, systemic thinking.
|Mexico Men won this year's Homeless World Cup. The Nation's Women's Team also won the Women's tournament for the ninth year in a row |
Changing Attitudes and Creating Legacies
For Young, ending homelessness is not only about providing housing but about changing the way society views its most vulnerable members. “There’s a difference between houselessness and homelessness,” he explains. “Being homeless is a traumatic experience, and just building houses isn’t the solution.” Young advocates for a holistic approach that includes ongoing support to help individuals reintegrate into their communities.
As the Homeless World Cup expands to a fifth continent, Young hopes it will leave a lasting legacy—raising visibility, changing attitudes, and serving as a platform for change.
And he remains committed to his goal: to end homelessness and, in doing so, make his own role obsolete.
“We like the medals, and we like being told we’re wonderful,” Young says with a smile. “But really, I want to put us out of business.”
Words: Victor Flood
Images: Anita Milas and Angelica Ibarra