New report details health toll of homelessness in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A new report from the Illinois Department of Public Health is showing the toll that homelessness takes on one’s health.

The Illinois Homelessness Morbidity and Mortality Report 2017-2022 was prepared by the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. Drawing on statewide hospital records and death certificates, the research found that people who experience homelessness are likely to live nearly 20 years less than the general population and are three times more likely to be a victim of a violent assault or murder.

The report also found that since the start of the COVID pandemic, there has been a 36.6% increase in homeless mortality, compared to only a 6.1% increase in deaths among the general population. The increase in deaths since the start of the pandemic appears to be driven in part by an increase in drug-related overdoses.

“Housing is an important social and structural determinant of health,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.  “Only the second report of its kind in the United States, the information presented draws into sharp focus the enormous toll that homelessness takes on unhoused Illinois residents, and the health system that works to care for them. The report diagnoses the problem, but it is only the first step.  With partners across government, community, academia, and the private sector, the State of Illinois will move forward to design new and improve our current programs and policies to address disparities and achieve optimal health for our residents.”

The first report on homeless mortality was commissioned by Minnesota last year. An executive summary of Illinois’ report can be found here .

Developing the report is a part of an ongoing multi-agency state effort, led by the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH), to promote housing access and stability across the state. They’re hoping to deepen strategies to prevent and end homelessness.

“The health concerns of people experiencing homelessness are not limited to psychiatric conditions and substance use disorders,” said UIC Professor Lee Friedman, one of the report’s co-authors. “People experiencing homelessness with chronic health conditions have a very high level of hospital utilization, and among those that died, the majority were suffering from chronic conditions at their time of death.”

The report also emphasizes the importance of increasing access to stable housing to people experiencing homelessness and of improving their access to healthcare. The IDPH intends to use the report to help partners communicate and understand health inequalities facing the homeless population in order to address those inequalities.

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