House refers to a physical structure. Home refers to a state of belonging. Home is in the heart, home is where I lay my hat, etc… unhoused people are not necessarily homeless. Their homes may be where they live on housed, it may just be in the sense of community, it may be that the backpack they carry on the shoes on their feet, that this is home for them. Also, frankly, you can be host and not be at home. If you’re traveling for 6 months, staying in the fanciest hotels, you’re definitely not unhoused, but you may well not be at home. And some of us struggle to ever find home though we remain housed
Editing to add that in terms of advocacy, While most people also want a home, and creating stronger sense of community is important, fighting for the money and access to a shelter, a roof over your head, the door to close, where you can be safe in your person and perhaps make it home, this is what people fight for first. This is a basic need for survival
I’d like to comment further but I’ll get upset, so I won’t. This hits close to home.
I will say, please, go out today, and help someone, don’t wait, don’t discuss, don’t delay. There are women’s shelters , family shelters, mens shelters , youth shelters, hospices , please find one that needs your help.
When people think certain terms have accumulated too much of a negative connotation, advocates will try to get everyone to use different terminology for the same concept.
It’s called the euphemism treadmill.
“Mentally retarded” was once a clinical diagnosis, but once people started using it as a way to insult the intelligence of another person, and kids started using it as a derogatory term in school yards, that phrase acquired a very negative stigma. People who don’t want those who had been labeled mentally retarded to feel stigmatized, or insulted, or mocked try to get everyone else to use different language to describe mental disabilities/handicaps/deficits that hadn’t acquired the same negative connotations and stigma yet.
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