Homelessness: Occupational Therapy’s Role By: Chloe Dow Photo Source: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/story/2022-09-27/county-declares-public-health-crisis-over-homelessness Current Issue – Nationally • January 2022 – 582,462 people in America were unhoused • Could be partly due to COVID-19 - People in homeless shelters decreased by 1.6% but homelessness in other settings increased by 3.4% - Rate of people with disabilities being homeless increased but the homeless veteran rate decreased, minority populations are more likely to be homeless • Goal to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2025 (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2022) Photo Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2016/1117/US-homelessness-declines-What-s-working Current Issue – Locally • Unhoused individuals living in tents in West Utica, with no beds or running water but were supported by the local church. Shelters have rules and will not accommodate those who have behavioral issues or who refuse to stay sober during their stay (Ferris, 2022). • In Syracuse, an extended family of six rented a three-bedroom house but was unable to afford rent payments when a workplace injury and death in the family occurred. The rent was raised by the landlord by $200. • Since 2021, homeless families have increased by 65%. • The Coleman family moved out of their house into a hotel and then moved into the Salvation Army Family Shelter. Photo Source: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2023/03/homeless-families-spike-to-never-before-numbers-in-central-new-york-its-such-a-crisis.html History • First used in the U.S. in the 1870s to describe men traveling the country looking for jobs. Jobs, rather than housing were seen as the solution to this issue. This is when homelessness became a national issue. • After WW2, homeless individuals tended to be older, disabled, dependent on welfare or social security, and residing in rooming houses. • Modern homelessness emerged in the 1980s with the HIV/AIDS crisis, deinstitutionalization, inadequate affordable housing, high unemployment, and recession that caused cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development budget. (National Academies of Sciences et al., 2018) Photo Source: https://invisiblepeople.tv/history-of-homelessness/ Passion & OT’s Role Personal -Personal connection through my Dad’s work Professional -Being unhoused influences health outcomes. Increased rates of TBI, substance abuse, and mental health conditions, high prevalence of trauma, lack of access to routine healthcare despite the prevalence of chronic conditions, and the onset of health conditions 20-30 years prior to housed peers. -Face discrimination in healthcare settings -OTs are trauma-informed, holistic practitioners that need to have more focus on population-level issues (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2021). Theory/Framework Photo Source: https://musculoskeletalkey.com/person-environment-occupation-models/ Take action! Remember the concept of occupational justice Speak out against hostile architecture Volunteer or donate Use your career to help others Reach out to political leaders Photo Source: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/2021/09/28/a5354-rise-of-hostile-architecture-in-the-united-states/ References American Occupational Therapy Association. (2021). AOTA Decision Guide. Working With Adults Experiencing Homelessness (across practice settings). https://www.aota.org/practice/practicesettings/-/media/91527eb34aee43a9a3bf39f33d288c7f.ashx Eisenstadt, M. (2023, March 17). Homeless families spike to never-before numbers in Central New York: ‘It’s such a crisis’. https://www.syracuse.com/news/2023/03/homeless-families-spike-to-never-beforenumbers-in-central-new-york-its-such-a-crisis.html Ferris, J. (2022, October 13). Heartbreak and hope: Homeless live in tent city in west Utica. WKTV. https://www.wktv.com/news/local/heartbreak-and-hope-homeless-live-in-tent-city-in-westutica/article_67ac5b84-4b40-11ed-a0e9-d30d54c76299.html National Academies of Sciences, E., Division, H. and M., Practice, B. on P. H. and P. H., Affairs, P. and G., Program, S. and T. for S., & Individuals, C. on an E. of P. S. H. P. for H. (2018). The History of Homelessness in the United States. In Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes Among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/ U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2022, December 19). HUD Releases 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report. https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_22_253
