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Homelessness and Health
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Social Family Issues

Homelessness and Health

Homelessness is a complex issue driven by various socioeconomic factors, creating a cycle where poor health contributes to housing instability and vice versa.

Causes of Homelessness

Hundreds of thousands of people experience homelessness in the United States each night. The reasons for homelessness are complex and often involve a combination of the following factors:

  • Poverty
  • Unemployment
  • Lack of affordable housing
  • Mental and substance use disorders
  • Trauma and violence
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Justice-system involvement
  • Sudden serious illness
  • Divorce
  • Death of a partner or parent
  • Disabilities

The Link Between Homelessness and Health

There is a bidirectional relationship between health and housing. Poor health can contribute to homelessness, and the experience of being homeless can exacerbate health issues. Factors that worsen health for those experiencing homelessness include:

  • Limited access to health care
  • Problems getting enough food
  • Trouble staying safe
  • Violence
  • Stress
  • Unsanitary living conditions
  • Exposure to severe weather

Common Health Problems

People experiencing homelessness often face specific health challenges, including:

  • HIV
  • Lung diseases, including bronchitis, tuberculosis, and pneumonia
  • Malnutrition
  • Mental health problems
  • Substance use problems
  • Wounds and skin infections

Many individuals, including children, are dealing with trauma resulting from abuse or assault, which can lead to significant emotional and behavioral problems.

If you are in need of assistance, contact your local homelessness assistance agency for help with shelters, health centers, and free meals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Insulin and certain biologics require refrigeration prior to opening, which is challenging without stable housing. Patients can often coordinate with local community health centers, street medicine outreach teams, or drop-in clinics that offer secure medication lockers or cold storage. For daily carrying, specialized insulated travel pouches, evaporative cooling sleeves, or vacuum-insulated thermoses can keep medications below 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, clinicians may switch patients to concentrated or pen-based formulations that maintain stability at room temperature for up to 28 days.
Immersion foot occurs when feet remain wet and cold for prolonged periods, leading to impaired blood flow and nerve damage. Early signs include numbness, pale or bluish skin, tingling, and deep aching pain. Without intervention, it can lead to blisters, severe fungal or bacterial infections, tissue necrosis, and gangrene. Prevention involves keeping feet clean and dry, rotating between pairs of socks, allowing shoes to air out whenever possible, and seeking shelter to elevate and warm feet without applying direct, scorching heat.
Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria spread through the air when an infected person coughs, speaks, or sings, thriving in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces where many people sleep in close quarters. Early signs that require urgent clinical evaluation include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, and fever. Many shelters require a negative tuberculin skin test (PPD) or interferon-gamma release assay (blood test) prior to placement to protect residents and staff.
FQHCs and Health Care for the Homeless programs adapt clinical practices by offering walk-in care without requiring appointments, proof of address, or insurance. Clinicians modify treatment plans by prescribing once-daily medications, minimizing the need for frequent lab draws, and providing wound care supplies directly. They also collaborate with medical respite facilities, which provide temporary post-hospitalization beds where unhoused patients can safely recuperate from acute illnesses, surgeries, or severe infections.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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