Impact of this Terminology

When you are considering the impact of the terminology don't just think of how it might make an individual feel but also consider how it makes the community view the group and in tern how do we treat them.

If we think of homeless people as "Bums", it suggest the person is choosing to stay in that life because they are too lazy to change their life. Then are we likely to donate to charities to help them? Are we likely to vote for a politician who wants to put into place policies to create more shelters or low cost housing. If we think negatively of them then we as a community are less likely to help them in a variety of ways and this can lead to more long term homelessness in our communities and other issues like crime that might be associated with people who are desperate and in need. 

If you are a realestate agent and you are considering applications if it is evident that the person has been homeless, if your perception is that of compassion for someone who has had a hard time or an unfortunate situation, you may be more inclined to approve the application and give the person a place to live improving their safety and security, reducing stress, allowing them to be more a part of society fitting the norm.