Homeless vs Houseless: What is the correct term to use?

The terminology used to address those experiencing housing instability has been a topic of conversation and conflict, especially in recent years. Many argue that moving on from the term “homeless” to “houseless” creates a new focus that is on the person having a lack of shelter, which is an important distinction between a house and a home. A house is a physical place of shelter, and a home is a place where one feels a sense of belonging and comfort.

The counterargument to this is that creating new terminology actually has the opposite intended effect; drawing focus to language rather than the issue at hand. The concern here is that more conflict will be created over which terminology should be used, causing unnecessary arguments.

How can changing terminology be helpful when tackling challenging topics like housing insecurity? Do Good Multnomah from Multnomah County elaborates on this conversation here.

At the end of the day, however strongly one may feel on this topic, the main point of each perspective is to maintain the focus on the lack of resources such as affordable housing, food security, and medical/mental health care, rather than referring to a human being as one without a “home” or a community of support. Listed below are direct quotes from individuals within Portland, Oregon on how THEY feel about individuals using the word “houseless” over “homeless.” 

“We’ve seen this before, words like transient or hobo are retired and no longer acceptable to use. Homelessness has become intertwined with narratives that are toxic. It deserves to be retired.”

“AND HELL YES I’M HOMELESS! But one thing I’m not is a glass jaw. Being all these things doesn’t define me. The totality of who and what I am could never be expressed on a spreadsheet. They are but components to my life. Seems to me more energy, time, and effort are spent on sanitizing and making politically correct the very toxic issues that plague the homeless. But when do we actually get help? I don’t often quote the Bible but I’ll make an exception this time: “faith without works is dead.” And so are HOMELESS people without a living wage and home to call our own.”

“I was homeless for three years recently and always referred to myself as such. While I see the point of changing some linguistic references in an attempt to de-stigmatize, in general, PC euphemisms are ridiculous and don’t help any cause to which they’re attached.”

“The more I thought about my own homelessness and use of the phrase “people experiencing homelessness,” the more I found the phrase offensive. Using the word “experience” does not represent the pain I went through or the mountain I climbed to get out of it!”

(Names redacted for privacy reasons)

As you can see, there are varying perspectives that are all equally valid in their own right. There will never be a term that perfectly encapsulates the challenge of not having enough support that humans deserve. 

However you may feel on either term, both are seen as accurate by those within our communities that ARE experiencing housing insecurity. These are the perspectives that should be prioritized instead of internet opinions. Use the term that you are most comfortable with and find the most respectful.