structures collectively in which people are housed
"The city announced a new plan to expand housing by building thousands of affordable apartments in the suburbs."
a protective cover designed to contain or support a mechanical component
"The mechanic tightened the housing around the new motor to ensure it wouldn't vibrate loose during operation."
The activity of enclosing something or providing a residence for someone.
"The new community center will focus on housing stray cats in temporary shelters until they find permanent families."
In plain English: Housing is the place where people live, such as a house or an apartment.
"The new housing development will add five hundred apartments to the neighborhood."
Usage: As a noun, housing refers specifically to buildings or dwellings provided for people to live in, such as apartments or houses. It does not describe the general act of enclosing objects or sheltering animals unless explicitly specified.
present participle of house
"The new housing project is scheduled to begin construction next month, bringing many families into the area."
In plain English: To house something means to put it inside a building or container for storage or living.
"The city plans to build new housing for thousands of families next year."
Usage: Use "housing" as a verb to describe the act of providing shelter or accommodation for people or animals, such as housing refugees in a new facility. It functions as the present tense form of the transitive verb "to house," indicating an active effort to secure living space.
The word housing comes from Middle English housen, which meant to shelter or receive someone into a house. It entered modern usage as the act of providing such shelter.