Houseless vs Homeless: More Than Just Political Correctness.

While having a discussion about homelessness with a social justice minded co-worker not very long ago they used the term houseless. I had not heard that term to describe this issue before. At first, I bristled a bit at this. I'm not one to complain or pontificate about "politcal correctness gone mad" but I wondered if this specific example really necessitated a different term and after this conversation and some reflection I absolutely advocate for using and myself try to use this word in place of homeless. Homeless implies the lack of a home, which is factually incorrect in the sense that a "home" can be made anywhere. I think of the old saying, "anywhere I lay my hat is my home". People can make their home anywhere and inferring otherwise is dehumanizing, not to mention the fact that "homeless" certainly carries a pejorative connotation and stigma for many folks. The language we use to describe reality can affect how we see reality and I think thinking about how we use language can create empathy and can humanize the people experiencing this growing issue. Some may dismiss this as an issue of semantics but language is important, language is evolving and contextual. Language defines how we communicate ideas, and making choices about the language we use should be something we think about improving as we grow. The intent isn't to shame those who don't use this term, changing habits takes time. In the grand scheme of tackling this issue it might seem like a drop in the bucket and not something that needs to be focused on but everything starts with recognizing the humanity of others and gaining sympathy and perspective help lead us to taking action and lending our support. (Above) Portland's local news station published a short video explaining a little bit of the thought process in changing the terminology. (Below) A few links that also provide some context on the difference between the two terms.----Andrew S.

https://www.seattleweekly.com/news/why-kirsten-harris-talley-makes-a-point-of-using-the-word-houselessness/

https://dogoodmultnomah.org/blog/why-do-we-say-houseless