unhoused

American  

[uhn-hohzd] / ʌnˈhoʊzd /

adjective

1. without a house or housing; not housed.

   Unhoused cables can sag and fall into the work area, becoming a health and safety risk.

2. being without a house to live in or lacking permanent housing; houseless; homeless.

   One hundred percent of your donations are used to provide warm meals, first aid, and more to our unhoused neighbors.

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Sensitive Note

See homeless ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of unhoused

First recorded in 1580–90; un- ¹ ( def. ) + house ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

He said disasters can cut unhoused people off from everyday support, as outreach workers are diverted and places such as libraries, soup kitchens and cafes close.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

A few hours earlier, while waiting for Wille outside the museum, I encountered an elderly Black man, apparently unhoused, standing on Michigan Avenue.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Those neighbors were beginning to find more and more evidence of the unhoused neighbors on their own properties.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Mostly, he insisted, the unhoused neighbors were vigilant stewards, and helped with sweeping and trash pickup and the like; “99 percent of the time it was working great,” he said.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

These quarters were not calculated to allure tenants who were partial to light and air; and even the poor and unhoused would not risk an encounter with the ghost of the last inmate.

From At the Ghost Hour The House of the Unbelieving Thomas by Heyse, Paul

Related Words

• homeless
• houseless
• unsheltered