Population-Level Health Effects of Involuntary Displacement of People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness Who Inject Drugs in US Cities

Original research
by
Barocas, Joshua A. et al

Release Date

2023

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

To estimate the long-term health effects of involuntary displacement of people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs in 23 US cities.

Findings/Key points

Models estimated between 974 and 2175 additional overdose deaths per 10 000 people experiencing homelessness at 10 years in scenarios in which people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs were continually involuntarily displaced compared with no displacement. Between 611 and 1360 additional people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs per 10 000 people were estimated to be hospitalized with continual involuntary displacement, and there will be an estimated 3140 to 8812 fewer initiations of medications for opioid use disorder per 10 000 people. Continual involuntary displacement may contribute to between 15.6% and 24.4% of additional deaths among unsheltered people experiencing homelessness who inject drugs over a 10-year period.

Design/methods

A closed cohort microsimulation model

Keywords

Housing
About PWUD
Overdose
Mortality
Policy/Regulatory