reflection

Personal Entrapment

Homelessness often results in a victim losing his/her

self esteem. Consequently, he/she tends to turn to drugs

and alcohol as a coping mechanism. In the end, this

puts such persons in increased danger of abuse and

violence, a higher chance of entering the criminal

justice system, and a high likelihood of developing

behavioral problems

Poor Health Outcomes

Homelessness is attributed to many health conditions,

primarily because the conditions on the streets or

even the shelters are charac cterized by poor

sanitation, limited resources, violence and even

sexual violence. Most homeless persons have a mental

illness, mixed substance abuse, and sexually related

conditions such as HIV/AIDS and even airborne

diseases such as tuberculosis (Mercy Housing, 2022).

What is homelessness?

Homelessness- is an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence: [or]

(1) an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is—

(A) a supervised or publicly operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);

(B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

(C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (“Homeless, Health and Human Needs” 1988)

Homelessness in San Francisco

The Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) estimated 649,917 homeless persons in the United states in 2010, and 5823 were in San Francisco (Bonilla et al., 2014).

The homeless situation in San Francisco has gotten so dire that residents are being requested to accommodate the homeless persons near them in their homes (Alexander, 2022).

What is the Problem? There are numerous e�ects of homelessness. Typically, they

either fall under personal entrapment of poor health

outcomes that can ultimately lead to death.

HOMELESSNESS IN

SAN FRANCISCO

By: Juxian Li, Kelly Butler, Jiayi Luo

Biology 120 Section 503 May 14, 2022

Probable Solutions Affordable housing and more available shelters for persons in need.

More available mental health

centers and drug rehab centers and

resources for people struggling.

More mobile shower and toilets, and more mobile health clinics and testing centers for people to have easier access

Affordable health care and access to

more jobs ( job resource centers,

vouchers for professional clothing

etc.

Survey data Our group conducted a survey regarding homelessness in San Francisco. 20 responses from residents all over San Francisco districts with a different age group between 18 and 60 and above. ❖ 95% of the surveyors express that homelessness in

San Francisco is a public health issue. ❖ 70% people don’t feel safe in their community when

homeless people camp out in their district ❖ 85% believe that homelessness is an environmental

hazard in our community. ❖ Many believe that mental illness is their most concern

in San Francisco. ❖ Surveyors give suggestions on how to improve

homeless health problems: free healthcare; mobile clinics; mental health and drug addiction programs; ease of access of water, shelter and food; provide mental health care and a safe home; bathing and laundry facilities, and regular medical visits from a DPH van; vaccination.

❖ In order to build a better community, surveyors advised to have affordable housing and mental health rehab programs, education, employment services, provide mental health and shelter.

Do you think homelessness is a public health issue in San Francisco?

Community Data In San Francisco, there were 331 deaths among people experiencing homelessness in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (from March 17, 2020, to March 16, 2021). This number was more than double any number in previous years (eg, 128 deaths in 2016, 128 deaths in 2017, 135 deaths in 2018, and 147 deaths in 2019). Most individuals who died were male (268 of 331 [81%]). Acute drug toxicity was the most common cause of death in each year, followed by traumatic injury. COVID-19 was not listed as the primary cause of any deaths. The proportion of deaths involving fentanyl increased each year (present in 52% of toxicology reports in 2019 and 68% during the pandemic). Fewer descendants had contacts with health services in the year prior to their death during the pandemic than in prior years (13% used substance use disorder services compared with 20% in 2019) (Cawley, et al).

CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROBLEM IF IT IS NOT ADDRESSED

❖There may be a rapid spread of communicable diseases, which

will not only a�ect the homeless people but the general

population as well. If it gets out of hand, there may be an

unavoidable epidemic, which will be expensive and di�icult to

control.

❖Drug abuse within the homeless community is related to

violence and criminal activity. If left unchecked, crime rates

may rise due to the homeless people engaging in criminal

activities to sustain their substance addiction.

❖ Human head lice and body lice,

and Bartonella quintana infections are very common in the

homeless population.

Work Cited Masson, C.L., Fokuo, J.K., Anderson, A. et al. “Clients’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing hepatitis C virus care in homeless shelters.” BMC Infect Dis 20, 386 (2020). EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-020-05103-6

Liu, C Y et al. “Communicable disease among people experiencing homelessness in California.” Epidemiology and infection vol. 148 e85. 30 Mar. 2020, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32223777/

Cawley, Caroline, et al. “Mortality Among People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 5, no. 3, 2022, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/27 89907

Isabelle, Doerschlag. “Water Pollution Resulting from Homeless Encampments in Creeks: Programs in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and San Pablo.” eScholarship, 2021, escholarship.org/uc/item/5fr6w243#author

Mercy Housing. (2022) Top 7 Health Problems of the Homeless. https://www.mercyhousing.org/2020/08/top-7-health-problems-of -the-homeless/

“Homelessness, Health, and Human Needs.” National Library of Medicine, 1988, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218238/.

Alexander, Harriet. “Homelessness in San Francisco Now so Bad People Are Asked to Take a Homeless Person into Spare Room.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 9 Feb. 2022,www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10491511/Homelessness-San -Francisco-bad-people-asked-homeless-person-spare-room.html.