By Izzie James.
When thinking about combatting homelessness, and providing dignity to those experiencing it, the significance of language is not something that first comes to mind. Of course, being proactive is important- donating to charities, listening to people’s stories and showing compassion to those experiencing homelessness. However, something that we can all do easily (and daily) is to change the way that we speak about the experience of homelessness. Though it seems like a small step, changing our everyday language can be significantly helpful in working to destigmatise homelessness.
If we look into the word ‘homeless’, it is easy to see where the harmful connotations start. To simply label someone ‘homeless’ suggests that their entire identity centres around whether they have a stable housing situation. It reduces the person to a product of their social position, refusing to acknowledge the complex issues that can cause homelessness. The word ‘homeless’ is an arguably easy term to use. It’s an umbrella term that means we don’t have to think about specific issues relating to individuals. It allows us to gloss over problems rather than thinking about the different complexities associated with homelessness, and leading to the classification of different living situations as all the same. For example, some people experiencing homelessness may have access to non-permanent housing through friends and family, yet others may not have this option.
The word also has a sense of permanency, and by labelling someone as ‘homeless’, instead of ‘a person experiencing homelessness’, it suggests that they are stuck in that situation, rather than just experiencing it temporarily. Furthermore, it creates an ‘othering’ of the people that are experiencing homelessness. The single word has the ability to create an ‘us’ and ‘them’ situation. If a person experiencing homelessness is characterised by the word ‘homeless’, then people with stable living conditions will feel different to them, forgetting that someone’s housing situation does not represent a person.
Joe Smith, who works for a homelessness charity in Bristol, phrases it well. He stated in an article: “We want to say that homelessness is more than visible ‘rooflessness’. It’s about the lack of stable, secure and affordable accommodation and intrinsically linked to poverty. It’s about cutbacks to preventative services, inadequate welfare support and the traumas that can severely impact people’s lives.“1 As a society, we need to look beyond the idea that homelessness is an individual’s fault, and broaden our conversations to consider the complex causes of homelessness.
Another problem with language surrounding the word ‘homeless’ is that it is often used in a derogatory manner. Many people are guilty of stating that they “look homeless” when they look dishevelled, or are wearing unflattering clothing. Though it seems like a harmless statement, using ‘homeless’ in a derogatory way is only fuelling this sense of otherness and disrespect towards those experiencing homelessness. It strikes a similarity to people who say they ‘are bipolar’ when they have a mood change, or that they have ‘ADHD’ when they get distracted. It generates miscommunications about the actual behavioural sides of these diagnoses, and misconstrues awareness towards mental health issues. Society generally does not think about misusing mental health vocabulary, which can also be said for the misuse of the word ‘homeless’. With both of these instances, it is harmful to make cruel generalisations towards a group of people that all have different stories, backgrounds and struggles.
It has already been established that using the term ‘person experiencing homelessness’ is less stigmatising than the label ‘homeless’, yet there is more potential for positive linguistical evolution. It is important to reject any ‘othering’ language, and to call people out if they use words or phrases that may be considered derogatory. It is also important to avoid language or terms that suggests any kind of personal responsibility or blame- remember that every person experiencing homelessness will have different individual circumstances. Choosing to use empowering and inclusive language is a small but essential step.
The London-based charity Under One Sky has recently arrived in Durham, with its aim to change the narrative of homelessness, and to form empathetic relationships with those who find themselves without a home. My reference to this charity, and the amazing work it does, is relevant here due to its very name. Thinking about the term ‘Under One Sky’ is the perfect way to conclude. We are all living on the same earth, all under one sky, all equal. This should be in the forefront of our minds when considering how to treat people experiencing homelessness. My hope is that by making our language more inclusive and empathetic, we can create necessary change and continue to destigmatise homelessness.
If you’d like to hear more, or get involved with Under One Sky Durham, please email: underonesky.dusvo@durham.ac.uk
Or follow their social media page on Instagram: @uosdurham
1 Joe Smith, ‘To end homelessness, we need to change how we talk about it’, 2019https://thebristolcable.org/2019/03/to-end-homelessness-we-need-to-change-how-we-talk-about-it/