Housing is a health care issue.

Research leaves little doubt about the negative impact a lack of a place to call home has on people’s health. The toll on mental and emotional health is enormous, alongside the physical harms. People experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime, especially women, and more likely to experience a medical emergency. Unsurprisingly, the life expectancy of people who are unhoused is significantly lower than for the general population. Alarms are sounding about the nation’s aging, unhoused population.

We’re going to dig into this complicated issue at our fall summit Nov. 2-3 in Oakland, Calif. Setting aside the politics while being mindful of the myths surrounding homelessness, we’ll bring together experts, journalists and people with lived experience to talk about:

• What the research shows about who is experiencing homelessness and the factors that contributed to them losing their housing.
• How “street teams” are addressing people’s critical health needs and providing a bridge to more sustained care.
• Approaches to addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of people who are unhoused.
• The upstream causes of homelessness and promising approaches to preventing it.

Save the date now to join us in Oakland for these important conversations. Registration details coming soon.

Through the AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance, supported by The Commonwealth Fund, you can pursue a significant reporting project related to the U.S. health care system at the local, regional and/or national level. 

This fellowship allows mid-career journalists to maintain their regular employment while working on a major project over a 12-month calendar year. You’ll pursue the projects with the support of your newsrooms or arranged outlets, which commit to publish or air the work. Read more »