What’s In a Number? That Depends on How You Define ‘Homeless’

From the article:

A well publicized report this week that an estimated 1.5 million American children experienced homelessness in 2005-06 did not use the federal definition of homelessness. Instead, it used a different definition that grossly inflated the actual number.

And:

But rather than using the definition of homelessness established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Massachusetts-based organization used a standard adopted by the Department of Education that includes children who are “doubled up,” or children who share housing with other persons due to economic hardship or similar reason.

So, we have a term “homeless” defined in two different ways, by two separate government departments. How is this helpful?

To me, it’s similar to coining the term “mortgage crisis.” If you define that as folks who have lost their job, but would otherwise have been able to keep up, that’s one thing. If you include people who bought above their means, tried to use the system to “flip” properties, or used the system to buy second or third homes - it means something else entirely.

Words have to mean something!