Unsheltered Homelessness

Since the US Supreme Court ruled in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson in June 2024, there has been an increase in the number of encampment sweeps. After the ruling, Governor Newsom of California issued an executive order directing state and local officials to dismantle homeless encampments. Street medicine services have never been more important as they provide lifesaving services by resupplying vital medication or medical supplies, hospitalizing patients with severe mental or physical health conditions, and finding medical respite care facilities. Marc Dones, policy director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "It is very straightforwardly the case that displacement costs more than a lot of other strategies that we could use."

This research letter discusses the experience of violence during homelessness, its impact on health, and recommendations for intervention. In the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness, 38% of participants experienced violence during their current homelessness episode, and 74% of participants reported experiencing violence at some point in their lives. These results highlight the need to address violence against people experiencing homelessness through safer housing options, trauma-informed care, and long-term violence prevention strategies.

Most people experiencing homelessness in California do so in unsheltered settings, such as outdoors or in vehicles. This webinar is about the causes and consequences of unsheltered homelessness. Margot Kushel, MD, moderated a conversation with Marc Dones, Ashley Meehan, MPH, and Carter Hewgley, discussing recommendations and solutions for addressing unsheltered homelessness in a way that preserves health, dignity, and civil rights for those experiencing it.