Fighting the Coronavirus & Protecting the Unhoused: Policies & Polling

This article begins by explaining that federal government data indicatesthat more than 500,000 people in the United States are homeless, and themagnitude and consequences of homelessness have been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeless populations are at a higher riskfor contracting and transmitting COVID-19, because they are more likelyto come into contact with potentially infected surfaces and people. Homeless individuals’ increased risk stems from the difficulty in effectively practicing “social distancing” while homeless and the inability to follow theCenter for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to stay home.

Leo Beletsky and Sterling Johnson