In this op-ed, Maria Raven, MD, MPH, associate director at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, explains how homelessness is not just a housing issue, but a health care issue. She outlined the pertinent health needs of people experiencing homelessness and the barriers of treating illness against a background of homelessness. Dr. Raven writes, "The health care system in general, and emergency departments specifically, cannot solve this problem — we can only respond to its consequences."
This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.
