The words we use have the power to inspire, disrupt and mobilise, but they can also perpetuate stereotypes and embed shame. A new report published by the Centre for Homelessness Impact digs into the impact of the language used around homelessness and how we can all help to break down the stigma.
Homelessness and the Language of Stigma is a new report from King’s College London and supported by the Centre for Homelessness Impact. Researchers and a group of experts by experience analysed a dataset of 5,421 sentences that referred to homelessness found on Twitter (before it became X), in the homelessness sector and in UK newspapers.
Their research found that people experiencing homelessness were often “assumed, implied or described to be different from others on the basis of appearance, hygiene, personal shortcomings, poor life choices and substance abuse”. Descriptions also suggested that people impacted by homelessness were of a lower social status and lacked human qualities.
Dr Apurv Chauhan, Lecturer in Social and Cultural Psychology at King’s College London and co-author of the report, said:
“Our research shows that stigmatising ideas about homelessness often hide in plain sight and perpetuate through everyday comments, humour and casual remarks. We all need to play a role in being careful in our communication and challenging the everyday normalisation of prejudice.”
‘Homeless woman questioned by police’. ‘He looked homeless’. We’ve all seen news headlines and heard (or even said) phrases like this. It might seem harmless but over time and at scale these words reduce individuals to their housing status and reinforce derogatory stereotypes.
For someone experiencing homelessness, this language can not only be hurtful but also impact their path out of homelessness. Stigma creates shame, and shame can stop someone reaching out to the services that exist to help them. So yes, the way we talk about homelessness really does matter.
Check your language
Alongside the report, the Centre for Homelessness Impact has published a checklist to help us recognise and avoid the language of stigma when it comes to homelessness. Some examples include:
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- Focus on the person, not their housing status: Refer to “people experiencing homelessness” or “people sleeping rough” rather than a “homeless man” or “rough sleepers”, to avoid defining them solely by their housing status.
- Only mention homelessness when relevant: We often add that a person is homeless even when this detail is not pertinent. For example, “A homeless man was questioned by the police in relation to the incident.”
- Respect the dignity of people affected by homelessness: Using homelessness as a point of comparison, whether for humour or to illustrate failure, reinforces harmful stereotypes and trivialises a complex issue.
- Steer clear of negative stereotypes about hygiene, appearance, or behaviour: People experiencing homelessness do not have common characteristics related to their appearance or behaviours.
- Make clear that homelessness is much broader than rough sleeping: Street homelessness is the most visible form of homelessness but is not the only, and certainly not the biggest, form of homelessness.
At Homeless Oxfordshire, we witness the impact of stigmatising language every day and we constantly strive to challenge damaging stereotypes. It’s fantastic to see a report that highlights the scale of the issue and offers practical ways that we can all help to reduce the shame surrounding homelessness.
For more information about Homelessness and the Language of Stigma, read the report and download the checklist
