Housing is a Health Issue
There has been a clear and continuous rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness throughout Washington state. As a group of healthcare professionals and advocates, we recognize the adverse mental and physical health outcomes that are rooted in insecure housing and homelessness. Homelessness can cause extreme trauma, and is a risk factor for many chronic illnesses.
We work to address the root causes of homelessness. Surging rent, rising cost of living, low vacancy rates, stagnant wage growth, and eroded social safety net programs are all concrete reasons why homelessness persists in our society. The centuries of oppressive policies that create homelessness disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income people. Addressing housing and homelessness is essential if we want to live in a healthy and equitable state.
Homelessness: Myth vs. Fact
Harmful stereotypes continue to be perpetuated about homelessness. These myths typically focus on the individual rather than the structural conditions in which they live. In order to respond to the magnitude of the housing crisis, we must look to the upstream political, economic, health, and social factors that create the conditions for the high rates of homelessness across the country.
Read more in “Homelessness: Myth vs. Fact!” created by the Economic Inequity & Health Task Force:
Housing First
The Housing First model is an evidence-based housing intervention that prioritizes obtaining permanent housing for homeless individuals before expecting them to manage complex mental and physical health issues. This approach provides stable housing options for people who have been unsuccessful with traditional approaches and have therefore been chronically homeless despite best intentions of healthcare providers and social service agencies. Research surrounding the efficacy of the Housing First model has repeatedly reported positive participant feedback, reduced rates of substance and alcohol use, decreased likelihood of returning to a homeless status and various other promising outcomes.
Read more about these findings and Why We Support the Housing First Model:
Anti-Camping Ordinances are Harmful
As an organization of health professionals concerned with addressing the gravest threats to public health in our state, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) is alarmed by the trend across Washington municipalities to criminalize homelessness by way of anti-camping ordinances. We are especially troubled by the use of public health language to justify punitive legislation that would prohibit people experiencing homelessness from seeking shelter on city property.
Read our statement here:
Please join WPSR today as we fight on all fronts for the rights, safety, and health of our unhoused neighbors and friends.