Since 2016, after a decade of decline, the number of people experiencing homelessness or housing instability has increased, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating factors attributing to the rise. COVID-19 has exposed existing systemic challenges in healthcare access and health outcomes and issues with housing, food insecurity, financial instability, and criminal justice.

Homelessness and housing instability have proven to lead to poorer health outcomes, this being more particularly true for people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH who experience housing instability are less likely to receive appropriate health care, and they experience higher rates of opportunistic transmissions, such as Hepatitis-B and other comorbidities. Death rates caused by complications with HIV are much higher for those experiencing housing instability than for the general PLWH population.

Housing is considered a social determinant of health, and instability determines outcomes, but implementing new policies like the Housing First principle coupled with Harm Reduction strategies, can save lives. By utilizing these specific changes to policy as an HIV prevention strategy, we can curb the rise of housing instability and have a more positive impact on health outcomes.

 

Will Ramirez 

Ending the Epidemic Fellow