In order to address how the homeless population has been impacted by the virus, I believe it is first beneficial to identify the federal definition. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2012) the Department of Housing and Urban Development has recently changed their definition of homelessness. Under the new definition, an individual experiencing homeless is defined as “An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, which includes a primary nighttime residence of: [a] place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, or [a] publicly or privately operated shelter or transitional housing, including a hotel or motel paid for by government or charitable organizations, a person is considered homeless if he or she is being discharged from an institution where he or she has been a resident for 90 days or less and the person resided in a shelter (but not transitional housing) or place not meant for human habitation immediately prior to entering that institution”. This blog post will focus solely on the population of individuals in either shelter or interim housing programs and those lacking a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence who were left the last resort of living in the streets. However, it is important to note that those living without any shelter are reported to be most vulnerable. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2020) has identified five reasons why the unsheltered homeless population is considered most vulnerable: “poor health, congregate settings, an aging population, limited ability to follow public health advice, stigma and discrimination”.
During these trying times, it is important to lend a hand to one another. Especially to an already vulnerable population. Perri, Dosani, and Hwang (2020) noted, “infectious disease epidemics and pandemics have a disproportionate impact on people experiencing poverty, marginalization, stigmatization and discrimination” therefore making the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic no different on the homeless population. Perri, Dosani, and Hwang (2020) also explained that one of the reasons this population is more susceptible is the given fact that shelters and drop-in sites leave people in close proximity to one another and strained access to health care. This in turn increases the exposure rate while simultaneously delaying diagnosis until symptoms are already severe. It is also important to note that the homeless population is more susceptible to severe strains of the virus given that the population is more likely to suffer from high morbidity health conditions such as “heart disease, respiratory conditions, liver disease and high rates of smoking in homeless populations” (Perri et al., 2020).
The Centers for Disease Control has taken note of the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on the homeless population and has offered a list of considerations to assist the population and to provide safety to the individuals experiencing housing instability while also keeping the staff providing outreach services safe. The Centers for Disease Control notes that to combat the pandemic and help those experiencing homelessness it will take “a “whole community” approach, which means involving partners in the response plan development, with clearly outlined roles and responsibilities” (CDC, 2020). The Centers for Disease Control states the following list of individuals should be involved in the community-wide planning process:
- Local and State Health Departments
- Outreach teams and street medicine providers
- Homeless service providers
- Emergency management
- Law enforcement
- Healthcare providers
- Other support services: case management, emergency food programs, syringe service programs, and behavioral health support
- People with lived experiences of homelessness
(CDC, 2020)
In addition to creating this team to increase street outreach and ensure those experiencing homelessness are connected with appropriate resources Perri et al. (2020) suggests that individuals experiencing homelessness should be offered priority testing for COVID-19 and to ensure shelter spaces have the capacity to abide by physical distancing guidelines as well as proper resources to provide clients with isolation or quarantine as needed. Thus, as social workers, we are being called upon during these difficult times to act on our core value of service. The National Association of Social Workers states that “social workers [should] draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems” (NASW, n.d). In addition, to the suggestions offered by both sources, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2020) offered suggestions on policy reform to assist the vulnerable population stating that focus should be given to “prevent loss of housing and health care services [which includes] prohibit evictions, encampment clearings, and other actions that destabilize even the most tenuous living conditions and service connections, [and] expand medical respite care programs”. Thus, some simple acts I recommend if one has the means is to provide donations to your local homeless service provides, offering personal protective equipment to individuals experiencing homeless while abiding by social distancing and other CDC guidelines, making individuals aware of emergency assistance services that are currently available to individuals experiencing homelessness in your community to do our part as social workers and uphold the values and ethics of our profession.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020, August 6). Interim guidance on unsheltered homelessness and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for homeless service providers and local officials. Community, work, & school. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/unsheltered-homelessness.html
National Alliance to End Homelessness (2012, January 18). Changes in the HUD definition of “homeless”. https://endhomelessness.org/resource/changes-in-the-hud-definition-of-homeless/
National Association of Social Workers (n.d.). Read the code of ethics. Code of ethics: English. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2020, March). COVID-19 & the HCH Community: Needed policy responses for a high-risk group (Issue Brief No. 1). COVID-19 and People Experiencing Homelessness. https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Issue-brief-COVID-19-HCH-Community.pdf
Perri, M., Dosani, N., & Hwang, S. (2020). COVID-19 and people experiencing homelessness: Challenges and mitigation strategies. CMAJ, 192(26), E716 – E719; https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.200834
Xesenia,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very informative and eye opening blog post. Since the pandemic started I have often wondered what is happening with populations struggling with homelessness. Shelters tend to be overcrowded and I have heard of several having to quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak. I also worried about how the lack of health care services received by homeless persons and the exposed and unconventional spaces they reside in, could increase their risk of becoming infected. However I had not even considered that they could suffer an infection of a more severe strain. I didn't even know that was possible. I also had not considered the increased isolation this would cause. Reading this I realized that I have been avoiding persons experiencing homelessness out of fear of infection. I used to roll down my window and offer change or purchase meals. Now I keep my distance. It is shameful to realize this and also concerning, because I feel that many other people are no longer reaching out or volunteering because of this risk. In this fear a stigmatized group is further isolated and discriminated. Thank you for making me realize that.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post! I think that those who experience homelessness are a forgotten group and often slip through the cracks when it comes to statistics, especially with COVID-19. I think now more than ever, city officials should be working on addressing this social issue on a mezzo/macro level. We see that pandemic has disproportionately affected vulnerable groups and I think that the entire human population should be wearing their empathy and compassion masks and donate when they can.