Health care for people experiencing homelessness

This JAMA Insights examines the adverse effects of homelessness on physical and mental health and suggests strategies to improve access to health care, services, and housing for people experiencing homelessness.

On a night in January 2023, a total of 653 104 individuals (20 of every 10 000 people in the US) experienced homelessness. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing. The proportion of homeless people who are unsheltered in a community is largely dependent on the availability of shelter. People affected by structural racism, specifically Black, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander people, and those with mental health and substance use disorders experience homelessness at higher rates. Black individuals make up 13% of the US population but comprise 37% of people experiencing homelessness.