4 ms·
This article talks a bit about it - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/homeless-unhoused-houseless-term-history https://www.theguardian.com/us-news
by erehweb 2y ago
This article talks a bit about it - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/homeless-unhoused-houseless-term-history https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/homeless-unh... - from the purported original creator:
"They're unhoused. They have a home: Seattle is their home"
later excerpts
"...the word’s root emphasizes that the problem is a structural one linked to a lack of affordable housing, not a personal weakness."
"...those who have adopted it say it’s [...] to lessen stigma and to highlight that those lacking permanent roofs over their heads may still have communities or physical spaces they consider home."
- strken 2y agoMan, that quote is completely out of line with the experiences I've heard about. At one point we had a friend couchsurfing with us, and he wanted a home that he had real control over. He was in a house, but he didn't have a home. I don't see how this next step on the euphemism treadmill is an improvement.
- robertlagrant 2y agoIt's not - euphemism is great for middle class dinner party conversation, but it doesn't really help. The opposite could equally be true: a family could have a house, but it's one shared with a load of other people, so it's not a home.
- stonogo 2y agoThe term for your buddy is "underhoused". Part of the push for the term "unhoused" is to establish that housing is a matter of degree.