Homelessness and Health: Moving Beyond Health Care

Abstract

A close look at the homeless reveals that social determinants and the failure to meet the broadly defined list of health needs play a central role in the health of every individual. First, I identify the problems faced by defining homelessness and enumerating the health problems most commonly associated with the condition. Secondly, I identify the population's most common barriers to receiving care, analyze various models of treatment provision that currently exist, and make suggestions for allocating scare resources in order to provide the most effective treatment. This section also considers the role that personal choice of homeless individuals plays in their utilization of the services provided. Finally, I consider society's moral obligation to provide services to this population.