The Impact of Covid-19 on Homelessness in 2022

Covid-19, the household name that has taken our lives by storm in the last 2+ years. We found ourselves stuck in our homes, some stuck in hospital beds. Others were stuck out on the streets of their cities. The homeless community has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in many different ways, and it is time to reverse the strains on our neighbors.

On any given day of the year, 150,000 people experience homelessness in California. These masses of people are already dealing with homelessness, but within the last 2 years, they have been bombarded with the pandemic as well. The two crises have officially collided, leaving many hopeless, uncertain and unsheltered. Early on into the pandemic, the CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) warned that people over 65 would be at higher risk for Covid. The homeless community ages faster than any other demographic. Studies have shown that homeless patrons 50 and above experience geriatric issues (memory loss, functional impairments) similar to those around 70 years old. The CDC also warned us that humans with underlying health issues were subjected to higher risk in regards to contracting Covid. A recent study of homeless adults found that: 84% of unsheltered people suffer from physical health problems, 78% of unsheltered people deal with mental health problems, and 75% deal with substance abuse issues. Beyond the concern for physical and mental health, the homeless population was encouraged to socially distance, this is near unrealistic for these communities because of the dense populations in compacted areas.

Because of the pandemic, many homeless shelters were forced to close down. It was dangerous for outbreaks to grow into shelters, and socially distancing was unrealistic. The government of California suggested that institutions provide proper isolation care for homeless patrons who contract Covid. Homeless people were sometimes welcomed to quarantine outside of hospitals in order to be near fast, easily accessible medical care. Some relief was provided to the communities by governmental organizations and some non-profits, but there is only so much donations can provide. What a lot of people did not realize is that most public health diseases and infections are spread to the homeless community from the general population. But because there was nobody on the streets to interact with the homeless population, the homeless community was relatively “safe” from Covid for a very long time. But an issue from being so isolated from the general public as well as within their own communities was the detrimental mental health issues. Many patrons shared feelings of loneliness, hopelessness and anxiety from being alone during such a vulnerable time.

Moving forward, the Covid vaccine was made extremely available by housing shelters and our government. Medicinal practices created makeshift tents, trucks and clinics that came to homeless encampments, making it extremely reasonable to receive the vaccine. Sometimes, there were even monetary incentives to get vaccines. Shelters and causes have been opening up very quickly, and even though there is the setback of Covid, volunteers still made a great contribution to the homeless community by providing basic necessities. This winter, many shelters were understanding of the many hardships faced during the cold season. Specifically an organization called The Giving Spirit led monthly survival kit making sessions. In the sessions we were tasked to create very large and sufficient survival kits. The kits included: blankets, toiletries, basic medicine, soaps, lotions, snacks, foods, survival material including lights, ropes and more. The effort made by the local community in Brentwood, Los Angeles was truly amazing. It gave me a lot of home for the homeless community and the future of the pandemic in California specifically.