Investing in Public Health Infrastructure to Address the Complexities of Homelessness
John P. Allegrante, David A. Sleet
Abstract
Homelessness is now recognized as a significant public health problem in North America and throughout advanced economies of the world. The causes of homelessness are complex but the lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, addiction, and mental illness all contribute to the risk for homelessness. We argue that homelessness is increasingly exacerbated by system-wide infrastructure failures occurring at the municipal, state, and federal government levels and whose catastrophic impacts on population health and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic are the consequence of the decades-long devolution of government and neglect to invest in public infrastructure, including a modern public health system.
Topics & Concepts
Public healthNeglectPovertyGovernment (linguistics)UnemploymentAffordable housingPandemicEconomic growthPopulationEnvironmental healthMental healthBusinessPolitical scienceDevelopment economicsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)MedicineEconomicsPsychiatryDiseaseNursingInfectious disease (medical specialty)LinguisticsPhilosophyPathologyHomelessness and Social IssuesFood Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsPublic Health Policies and Education