INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SOFA OR PAVEMENT? DIFFERENCES OF DEFINITION STORY BY JANITA-MARJA JUVONEN SHOULD WE FAVOR the term “without a home” as it already describes a serious situation? Or should the focus remain on the word “homeless”, as is often the case at present? It is not uncommon for society to mistakenly regard “without a home” as less serious than “homeless”. “Homeless” triggers more emotions in people, causes actions and reactions – similar to the keyword “Christmas” – than the words “without a home” do. In fact, the two terms are to be considered differently and define different situations. In Germany, “without a home” means that someone does not have their own flat, house, or tenancy. People without a home live – possibly temporarily – with friends or relatives, but also in emergency accommodation, where places are very limited and often full. However, people without a home do not (yet) sleep on the street or under bridges, so they are not homeless in that sense. “Homeless”, on the other hand, describes a situation in which people have no fixed place to live or stay. Homeless people usually live on the street, in doorways, under bridges, or in other outdoor places. That means that all people who are homeless are without a home, but not all people without a home are homeless. Nevertheless, the word “homelessness” appears much more often in the media or in conversations than without a home. Yet the number of people without a home in Germany is higher than ever and continues to rise. It should also be borne in mind that not all people without a home appear in the statistics, as there are many people without a home – especially women – who do not appear in the welfare system as long as they can stay with someone “unseen”. But such dependent relationships pose great dangers for the person in need. I know homeless people who do not see themselves as “without a home” because they have a permanent place to sleep under a bridge and therefore have shelter from their point of view. “My” bridge was also a home for me. Even today, when I see this place, I feel similar to someone returning to their first home or their old childhood bedroom. There are no places like my childhood bedroom for me to go back to. I only got to enjoy the feeling of having my own home when I was 32. Although I don’t want to go back to living under the bridge, my memories of that time are not entirely negative. It’s difficult to put the feeling into words, but this bridge and the group I lived with there for years were actually something positive in my situation. They gave me protection and a sense of belonging, sometimes even a feeling of security. When I went under the bridge, I came into my “home”, into my bedroom. I came to my safe space, which offered me a certain degree of security – until the arson attack on me. For a long time, I drew a distinction by thinking that, as a homeless person, my situation was more serious than that of people who are “only” without a home. Today, with a little distance and after talking to other people who are homeless, I see things differently. In emergency shelters, people are also exposed to violence and discrimination, and in my opinion, they are also deprived of a large part of their independence. In addition, they are less visible to society. Politicians are more concerned with displacing homeless people than with taking sensible measures to get these people out of often desolate emergency accommodation and into their own homes quickly. I have gained the impression that there is a real distinction in the perception of those I have been in conversation with. This often gives the impression to those who have homes that people without a home can still live quite well in their situation. The situation is not yet bad enough. I am very moved by the reports from emergency and night shelters, and they show me why this was never an option for me. I don’t think that sleeping in a night shelter, where the person can go in at night and has to leave in the morning, is a good enough reason to stop labelling people as homeless. Because they still are. Three stays in a night shelter were enough for me. Nevertheless, I was never “voluntarily homeless” afterwards. This term is used in politics so that the general public is under the illusion that the responsibility for the situation lies solely with the people who live on the streets. However, the inadequate facilities at and poor condition of emergency and night shelters play a decisive role, as do structural problems and the lack of social housing and social support. The housing shortage is a far-reaching problem, but instead, it is suggested that people have chosen this situation of their own free will, which conveys a false impression. Homeless people are often exposed to psychological, physical, and sexual violence. They are at the mercy of their hosts’ whims, as they want to do everything in their power to avoid losing their shelter. Insecure “living conditions” cause extreme stress every day: “Will it still be safe for me to stay here tomorrow?” – just as a homeless person doesn’t know whether their sleeping place will still be accessible or available tomorrow. I think that it is important to point out that there are differences when people talk about being without a home and homelessness. Sleeping in emergency shelters and sleeping on the street or in night shelters are different realities of life that open up different perspectives. If I keep saying, “I am/was homeless,” it could be that the listener does not understand the reality of homelessness. As a result, my perspective could be misunderstood or not fully grasped. The term “without a home” needs to be used more and actively brought into the discussion in order to make the often invisible people behind the doors of emergency accommodation visible. So many people without a home go unnoticed because they have not reached “rock bottom”. But nobody should end up there! It is essential that we work together to prevent people from getting into this situation in the first place. Translated from German via Translators Without Borders Courtesy of Trott-war / INSP.ngo SLEEPING IN A TENT ONLY FEELS ROMANTIC – AS LONG AS THE PERSON SLEEPING THERE KNOWS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO RETURN HOME AT ANY TIME. | PHOTO COURTESY OF INSP 4 DENVER VOICE October 2025
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