Homeless Vs Houseless

We often confuse these words as if they had the same meaning or they connoted the same; which of course is a clear misconception.

Defining the two words as simple as it can be is the best way to describe the differences between both concepts:

Homeless:

“You may be homeless if you live in unsuitable housing, don't have rights to stay where you are or you're sleeping rough, even with a roof over your head you can still be homeless” (Shelter, 2016)

Houseless:

“The effects of houselessness stretch beyond a lack of somewhere to sleep at night. Houselessness means facing constant stigma and judgement. It means not having reliable access to a bathroom. It also means being criminalized for exercising human rights.” (Montufar, 2017)

Now that the concepts are out there we can confirm that they’re different terms; being houseless doesn’t mean your homeless or the other way around. When you’re a homeless person; you may not have a family or an actual place to call home however when you are a houseless you have no physical place to stay but you may still count with your family.  Being homeless has a deeper emotional sid often unseen.

Neira, E. (2017)

(Waldman & Fired, 2016)

(Dickinson, 2017)

Source

Montufar, D. (2017). Houseless, Not Homeless. Retrieved:l 13/May/2017, from: https://viewfind.com/story/r2dtoo

Shelter. (27/January/2016). What is homelessness? Retrieved:l 13/May/2017, from: http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/homelessness/homelessness_-_an_introduction/what_is_homelessness

Waldman, B., & Fired, Y. (6/November/2016). Helping the Homeless: An Affair of City and State: Photograph. Retrieved:l 13/May/2017, from: http://yucommentator.org/2016/11/helping-the-homeless-an-affair-of-city-and-state/

Dickinson, D. (17/January/2017). Nomads discuss Houseless vs Homeless. Retrieved:l 13/May/2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOGzO_2oOkg