Policy Press
7 Experiencing Homelessness in the Time of COVID-19
Abstract
The increasing rates of homelessness in the United States and Canada have been a growing social and health concern for several decades. On any given night, it is estimated that over 500,000 individuals in the United States and 35,000 individuals in Canada experience homelessness. It is well documented that individuals experiencing homelessness have higher morbidity and mortality rates than the general population. The social and health disparities that individuals experiencing homelessness encounter are known to many in the homeless-serving sectors. However, these extant disparities have increased, and become exposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of individuals becoming homeless due to the economic instability it has created and, once homeless, there is an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. If individuals do contract the virus, the risk of severe outcomes is heightened due to the higher rate of underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes in homeless populations.
Currently, the primary public health measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 are to mandate stay-at-home orders and social distancing. When stay-at-home orders are announced, there is an underlying assumption that individuals have a home. This is not the case for the hundreds of thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness in Canada and the US. These individuals use various spaces to stay safe, such as overnight emergency shelters, daytime drop-in centers, or sleeping in tent encampments. Many of these environments increase the risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19.
Abstract
The increasing rates of homelessness in the United States and Canada have been a growing social and health concern for several decades. On any given night, it is estimated that over 500,000 individuals in the United States and 35,000 individuals in Canada experience homelessness. It is well documented that individuals experiencing homelessness have higher morbidity and mortality rates than the general population. The social and health disparities that individuals experiencing homelessness encounter are known to many in the homeless-serving sectors. However, these extant disparities have increased, and become exposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of individuals becoming homeless due to the economic instability it has created and, once homeless, there is an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. If individuals do contract the virus, the risk of severe outcomes is heightened due to the higher rate of underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes in homeless populations.
Currently, the primary public health measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 are to mandate stay-at-home orders and social distancing. When stay-at-home orders are announced, there is an underlying assumption that individuals have a home. This is not the case for the hundreds of thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness in Canada and the US. These individuals use various spaces to stay safe, such as overnight emergency shelters, daytime drop-in centers, or sleeping in tent encampments. Many of these environments increase the risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Acknowledgments v
- Presidential Welcome vii
- Editorial Introduction xi
-
Victims and Justice
- Creating Safer Environments for Survivors 2
- The Incarceration State in the Age of COVID-19 13
- Incarceration during COVID-19 25
-
Employment Dilemmas
- Essential Work and Unemployment in the United States 36
- The US African-American Population Experienced a COVID-19 Double Disadvantage: Unemployment and Illness 49
- Residential Crowding among Meat Processing Workers 59
-
Precarious Populations
- Experiencing Homelessness in the Time of COVID-19 70
- The LGBT Medical and Political Crisis in the Wake of COVID-19 81
- Inequality in Isolation 91
-
Health and Well-Being
- Birth in the US amid COVID-19 102
- Access to Mental Health Care during and after COVID-19 113
- Vaccine Opposition in the COVID-19 Age 122
- The Social Problems of COVID-19 134
- Afterword 143
- Index 151
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Acknowledgments v
- Presidential Welcome vii
- Editorial Introduction xi
-
Victims and Justice
- Creating Safer Environments for Survivors 2
- The Incarceration State in the Age of COVID-19 13
- Incarceration during COVID-19 25
-
Employment Dilemmas
- Essential Work and Unemployment in the United States 36
- The US African-American Population Experienced a COVID-19 Double Disadvantage: Unemployment and Illness 49
- Residential Crowding among Meat Processing Workers 59
-
Precarious Populations
- Experiencing Homelessness in the Time of COVID-19 70
- The LGBT Medical and Political Crisis in the Wake of COVID-19 81
- Inequality in Isolation 91
-
Health and Well-Being
- Birth in the US amid COVID-19 102
- Access to Mental Health Care during and after COVID-19 113
- Vaccine Opposition in the COVID-19 Age 122
- The Social Problems of COVID-19 134
- Afterword 143
- Index 151
