Homelessness and the Environment: A Double-Edged Sword
Abstract
The homeless are a vulnerable population who are disproportionately affected by adverse environmental conditions. Major environmental factors that lead to premature morbidity and mortality for homeless populations are the conditions found in homeless shelters, such as overcrowding and indoor air pollution. Unsheltered homeless individuals are at an increased risk for negative health consequences resulting from noise pollution, outdoor air pollution, and infectious diseases. Because of the added social injustices faced by the homeless, food, water, shelter, and other resources are often difficult to find or obtain. Survival tactics, like waste disposal and burning materials for heat, also affect both the health of the individual and the environment. The ways in which they live can both positively and negatively impact the environment. Homeless people can help the environment by reusing and recycling waste, or they can hurt it by littering and leaving behind remains of encampments. In order to alleviate the harsh effects of environmental conditions faced by this population and educate them on minimizing their impact on the environment, public health professionals and stakeholders must acknowledge the social injustices faced by this population and the social determinants of health related to accessing food, water, shelter, healthcare and other essential resources.
Key words: homeless, environment, environmental health, social injustice, environmental injustice, homelessness
Homelessness and the Environment: A Double-Edged Sword
The homeless are a vulnerable population who are disproportionately affected by adverse environmental conditions. Major environmental factors that lead to premature morbidity and mortality for homeless populations are the conditions found in homeless shelters, such as overcrowding and indoor air pollution. Unsheltered homeless individuals are at an increased risk for negative health consequences resulting from noise pollution, outdoor air pollution, and infectious diseases. Because of the added social injustices faced by the homeless, food, water, shelter, and other resources are often difficult to find or obtain. Survival tactics, like waste disposal and burning materials for heat, also affect both the health of the individual and the environment. The ways in which they live can both positively and negatively impact the environment. Homeless people can help the environment by reusing and recycling waste, or they can hurt it by littering and leaving behind remains of encampments. In order to alleviate the harsh effects of environmental conditions faced by this population and educate them on minimizing their impact on the environment, public health professionals and stakeholders must acknowledge the social injustices faced by this population and the social determinants of health related to accessing food, water, shelter, healthcare and other essential resources.
Key words: homeless, environment, environmental health, social injustice, environmental injustice, homelessness