Resource Details

Study Shows Involuntary Displacement of People Experiencing Homelessness May Cause Significant Spikes in Mortality, Overdoses and Hospitalizations

Year Developed: 2023

Resource Type: Publication.

Primary Audience: Clinicians
Secondary Audience: Administrative Staff Board of Directors C-Suite (CEOs, CFOs, CIO, COOs, CMOs, etc.) Enabling Staff Outreach Staff PCAs

Language(s): English

Developed by: National Health Care for the Homeless Council (See other resources developed by this organization).

Resource Summary: The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study that shows encampment sweeps, bans, move-along orders and cleanups that forcibly relocate individuals away from essential services will lead to substantial increases in overdose deaths, hospitalizations and life-threatening infections as well as hinder access to medications for opioid use disorder (along with other detrimental impacts).

Resource Details: the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study that shows encampment sweeps, bans, move-along orders and cleanups that forcibly relocate individuals away from essential services will lead to substantial increases in overdose deaths, hospitalizations and life-threatening infections as well as hinder access to medications for opioid use disorder (along with other detrimental impacts). A multidisciplinary group of researchers led by Josh Barocas, MD, associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in coordination with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation, developed a simulation model projecting the long-term health effects of involuntary displacement of people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs using data from 23 U.S. cities. They used city- and national-level data to closely model what the population looks like in real life, including their overdose risk and mortality. They then modeled two scenarios over a 10-year time period: no continual displacement and continual involuntary displacement of this population.

Resource Topic: Clinical Issues, Emerging Issues, , Special and Vulnerable Populations, Health Equity

Resource Subtopic: Research and Data, , Population Health, Community, Health, and Housing Partnerships, Policy and Advocacy, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).

Keywords: Access to Care, Comorbidities, Discrimination, Environmental Health, Health Risk and Behavior, Housing, Infectious Diseases, Legal Issues, Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs), Outreach, Partnerships, Persons Experiencing Homelessness, Policies and Procedures, Prevention, Research.