Labeling theory suggests that people come to identify and behave in ways that reflect how others label them. When negative and pathologizing labels are effectively applied, the label impacts all social relations as the labeled person is moved from a normal position in society to a deviant role (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2012). Homelessness is commonly associated with deviant behavior such as drug and/or alcohol abuse and both are perceived as moral failings on behalf of the individual experiencing them. The deviant (homeless) person becomes stigmatized as a deviant and is likely to be considered, and treated as deviant by others in society. The homeless older adult is then likely to accept the label, seeing themselves as deviants, and
