By Ethan Pham
Many may think that homelessness is only a battle of finding a roof to live under, but it actually comes with more problems than one may think. For example, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council says that people who are homeless have higher rates of illness and die on average 12 years sooner than the general U.S. population. While people experiencing homelessness are susceptible to mental illnesses, they are even more at danger to physical harm like developing serious illnesses or being robbed. Whatever the problem may be, it is obvious that it must be solved.
One of the biggest barriers people without housing face is proper hygiene. A recent study showed that unhoused people in Los Angeles found that shower and laundry access were among the most limited services available. (For more information about accessing shower and laundry in Cedar Rapids visit this link.) Not having access to regular washings can make someone more vulnerable to health issues like skin infections and dental problems. While a simple cut or scrape seems trivial to people with access to proper treatment, it can easily turn into a serious infection for a person who cannot wash or treat their wounds. It can also affect a person’s mental wellbeing, as they enjoy feeling clean and not being treated differently simply because of their appearance.
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Another big problem that people experiencing homelessness often face is inclement weather. Because they do not have a roof to shelter themselves from severe weather conditions, they have to constantly face things like snow, hail, heat, and storms. Many unhoused people do not have the correct equipment and attire to deal with these climates. This can lead to things like heat stroke and hypothermia, which both require professional medical attention. (For more information about emergency weather preparedness in Linn County visit this link.)
People experiencing homelessness also often do not have access to healthy food. Most of the time, they have to resort to eating fast food or cheap donations which are not very healthy. According to a study held in 2012, 65.7% of homeless people in the United States were overweight. Diet is a leading contributor to becoming overweight. In addition to this, poor nutrition can cause other health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. (For more information on how to eat healthy while homeless visit this blog.)
Lastly, people experiencing homelessness are also at a high risk of being victims of violence. A survey from the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council showed that nearly half of the homeless population had experienced violence. Most homeless people are defenseless as they are already weakened from other mental and physical factors, and they are seen as an easy target to take anger out on. These attacks can lead to injuries, which are often not properly tended to.
It is clear that homelessness has several negative effects on one’s physical health. A lack of shelter can lead to things like unhealthy diets, increased rates of violence, and bad weather conditions. Understanding these impacts can help us see the importance of supporting efforts to reduce homelessness and provide better healthcare and resources for those in need.
Works Cited
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