Language and Framing

How the words we use shape perceptions and outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

The language we use to discuss homelessness profoundly shapes how we understand the issue, how policies are formed, and how people experiencing homelessness are treated. This section explores the impact of language choices and framing, and offers guidance on more respectful, accurate, and effective communication.

Person-First Language and Why It Matters

Learn about the importance of using "person experiencing homelessness" rather than "homeless person," and how this shift in language acknowledges homelessness as a temporary circumstance rather than an identity.

Harmful Stereotypes in Media Coverage

Examine how news media and entertainment often reinforce harmful stereotypes about homelessness through language, imagery, and narrative framing.

Dehumanizing Language and Its Effects

Understand how terms like "the homeless," "vagrant," or "bum" dehumanize people experiencing homelessness and contribute to stigma, discrimination, and harmful policies.

Individual vs. Structural Framing

Explore how framing homelessness as primarily an individual failure versus a structural issue shapes public opinion, policy responses, and resource allocation.

Language Guide for Respectful Communication

Access a practical guide to more respectful, accurate terminology when discussing homelessness, with alternatives to problematic language and explanations of why certain terms are preferred.

Amplifying Lived Experience Voices

Learn about the importance of centering the voices and perspectives of people with lived experience of homelessness in discussions, reporting, and policy development.