Talking about homelessness: UK report highlights how everyday language perpetuates stigma

For this report, researchers analysed language commonly used to discuss people experiencing homelessness. They selected 4,505 Twitter posts (before it became X) by UK users that referred to homelessness, alongside a further 916 sentences featuring phrases commonly used in the homelessness charity sector and in UK newspapers.

They found that people experiencing homelessness were 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 people impacted by homelessness were of a lower social status and lacked human qualities.

The findings also highlighted that public conversations about homelessness are often reduced to rough sleeping, overlooking the many people living in temporary accommodation because they are at risk of homelessness, or ‘sofa surfing’.

This report was written by Dr Apurv Chauhan and Professor Juliet Foster at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.

The report was funded and supported by Centre for Homelessness Impact. The Centre for Homelessness Impact champions the creation and use of better evidence for a world without homelessness. Our mission is to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness by ensuring that policy, practice and funding decisions are underpinned by reliable evidence.

Read the report here