alt Hacker NewsIf I had a friend who was staying with us because he had no other place to be, he wouldn't be homeless. That's like saying my 13 yr old is homeless because his name's not on the mortgage. The only point of the euphemisms is for people to feel self-righteous for policing language. Which they often do because it's lazier than any sort of real reform.
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That's just not true. Your 13yr old is your legal responsibility, whilst you have a home, they do to.
Someone who you generously take in now has a roof over their head but they have literally zero protections - you can argue with them tomorrow and be within your rights to throw them out.
Someone with nowhere at all to stay might die of the cold tonight.
Homelessness charities absolutely want to know which case you are in. They require different interventions with different priorities.
If your friend moves into your guest room and receives mail there, etc. they are not homeless. If they sleep on your couch 5 days a month then circulate among 6 friends doing the same, they are.