Houseless Not Homeless: Why Labels Matter

 

Houseless Not Homeless: Why Labels Matter

Terminology matters when discussing any issue. 

Recently, the commonly used term "homeless" has begun to be replaced with "houseless".

Why is this? 

The word homeless has long been the standard for discussing issues relating housing to instability,

which has led to it being associated with many of the negative presumptions surrounding the topic. 

Aside from the negative connotations and baggage that the word itself may carry, there are other reasons a person experiencing unstable housing may not want to identify with the title. 

A home may be a word for a place to live, but symbolically it often represents more than that. 

As a concept a home can be a place where someone feels comfortable, where they have a sense of community or family. It could be likened to the popular saying "Home is where the heart is." 

So to call someone homeless may indicate to them their sense of comfort and community is tied to one location and structure, that they have lost the inalienable bond of having a home. 

Houseless, on the other hand, is a term with less weight attached to it. 

It holds none of the same stigma and taboo associated with the term homeless, and it more objectively references the loss of stable housing. 

With these reasons in mind, it is not a surprise that many individuals experiencing unstable housing prefer to the term houseless. 

While this term hasn't become widely accepted as the standard in the conversation regarding the housing crisis, the distinction between a house and a home is important to make when discussing the lived experiences of those suffering from the consequences. 

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