Name, Sponsor, Link to the Event
The event “Insecure housing, homelessness, and health” was hosted by the School of public health. The link to the event: https://www.bu.edu/sph/conversations/uncategorized/insecure-housing-homelessness-and-health/
Place, Date, Length of the Event
This event was held online on January 31st, 2023 and lasted for about 90 minutes.
Names of Participants and Their Titles
- Rosanne Haggerty. President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Solutions.
- Ann Oliva. Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance to End Homelessness.
- Donald Whitehead Jr. Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless.
- Marisol Bello. Executive Director, Housing Narrative Lab (Moderator).
Brief Summary of the Topic Discussed
According to 2020 data, about 580,000 people are homeless in the United States. Homeless people have problems with addictions, mental health problems, domestic violence, lack of suitable housing, and security problems. And also with public policy and social behavior, including stigmatization issues. One of the key goals of public health is to assist those who are most vulnerable. This debate looks at the variables that endanger the health of those who live in unstable housing or are homeless.
People who find themselves homeless have a shorter life expectancy than those who have received housing. Experts in this field emphasize that homelessness is solvable. At the moment, decisions such as informing federal politicians and legislators about the needs of homeless people and the programs serving them are being made. Publication of research that provides policymakers, practitioners, the media, and the public with the best information about trends and emerging solutions to the problem. Assistance is also provided in developing and implementing crisis management systems, improving system performance, and using data to eradicate homelessness, especially from the point of view of equity.
The discussion also highlighted further steps to be taken in healthcare for homeless people and eradicating homelessness in general. Adequate, affordable housing options are required. Support (for example, long-term rental assistance, affordable housing construction, and services) should be developed and targeted at those suffering most from structural inequality. In a post-COVID world, dignity-based programs should be planned and maintained by the communities most affected by homelessness. The existing emergency shelter options for crowds are inadequate and cause damage in normal circumstances and during a pandemic, so measures should be taken to upgrade these shelters. Because of the trauma caused by these actions, communities must stop practices that criminalize people suffering from homelessness, and the police are not suitable outreach workers.
My Analysis of the Issue and its Implications for Health Care
Homelessness and poor health are closely interconnected and can contribute to each other in a vicious cycle. Homeless individuals often experience various physical and mental health problems due to inadequate shelter, hygiene, nutrition, and healthcare. Additionally, homelessness can negatively impact overall health, making it harder for homeless individuals to access and maintain stable housing (Liu & Hwang, 2021). This can lead to a cycle of homelessness and poor health that can be difficult to break without intervention.
Extreme poverty, severe living circumstances, injuries, and structural barriers to seeking aid are the significant causes of homeless health problems. Infectious illnesses, heart disease, substance abuse problems, and suicide are among the subsequent reasons. Mental illness and VSD are shared among the homeless population (Liu & Hwang, 2021). Other significant health-related problems are poorly controlled chronic diseases, high prevalence of traumatic brain injuries, disproportionate victimization, and high levels of tobacco use.
The COVID-19 pandemic further threatens the health of the homeless at a higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and developing a severe illness. Homeless shelters contribute to the transmission of infection due to cohabitation, crowding, and high population turnover, and general health problems in this population group (respiratory diseases, heart disease, and tobacco use) are risk factors for severe COVID-19. Furthermore, the homeless may be more migratory and geographically transitory than the general population (Tsai & Wilson, 2020). This can make it significantly more difficult to detect, prevent, and treat people in need of care and diminish the efficiency of attempts to restrict the virus’s spread.
A rising and diverse homeless population experiences huge social costs as well as institutional hurdles to health treatment, all of which contribute to high morbidity and death. Cost, access, and quality are the three significant cornerstones of healthcare delivery (Shi & Singh, 2022). The homeless, who are primarily low-income, uninsured citizens, have a variety of challenges in receiving medical treatment when they need it.
The most major access hurdles are financial, and given the continuing rise in the cost of treatment, the problem only worsens with time and requires comprehensive measures to be addressed. Improving access to Medicaid or other programs and getting direct subsidies might contribute to addressing this issue. Planning, transportation, and healthcare staff attitudes must also be addressed. All of this exacerbates the situation, contributing to the homeless’ apathy and reluctance to receive treatment as a result of their poor experiences with medical facilities. Homeless health must address overlapping health and social challenges through a combination of health and social treatments. Health and community service providers must collaborate to satisfy the homeless population’s unique requirements.
References
Liu, M., & Hwang, S. W. (2021). Health care for homeless people. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 7(1), 5. Web.
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2022). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (8th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Tsai, J., & Wilson, M. (2020). COVID-19: a potential public health problem for homeless populations. The lancet public health, 5(4), 186-187. Web.