New Report Highlights Disproportionate Health Risks Faced by Illinois’ Homeless Population
People Experiencing Homelessness Report
The latest homeless morbidity and mortality report from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health (UIC SPH) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows that people experiencing homelessness (PEH) face significant health challenges and have a high burden of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and higher premature death than others in the state.
The report, which looks at data from 2017 to 2023, found PEH were expected to die earlier on average — 55, compared to 74 for the state’s housed population.
Additional findings included, in part:
- PEH were far more likely than the housed population to die from drug overdoses (39.3% versus 4.9%), traumatic injuries (11.3% versus 5.6%), or excessive cold (3.7% versus 0.1%). Homicide fatalities among PEH were nearly three times higher than the rate for the housed population (3.1% versus 1.1%).
- 313 PEH who died over the span covered in the report were classified in their death records as veterans, and 30 had worked in public sector jobs, including police officers, paramedics, and correctional officers.
- The overwhelming majority of deaths and hospital visits for PEH occurred in urban counties, although deaths and hospital visits for PEH were recorded in every region of the state.
“Early intervention can prevent chronic illness and premature death among people experiencing homelessness,” said Dana Madigan, MPH ’13, PhD ’20, report lead author and research assistant professor in environmental and occupational health sciences.
The report put forth, in part, the following recommendations:
- Work to enhance the identification and documentation of individuals experiencing homelessness within healthcare settings.
- Integrate broader data sources to enrich understanding of homelessness demographics and service utilization.
- Develop and implement a provider engagement strategy.
The Illinois Homelessness Morbidity and Mortality Report 2017-2023 is a joint effort of IDPH, UIC SPH, and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. Illustrations for the report were created by persons experiencing homelessness and were provided through Red Line Service, an organization led by PEH, which “wields art world resources to build community, generating the sense of belonging and mutual care essential to securing and retaining housing.”
The IDPH press release can be found here and the full report can be found here. An executive summary can be found here.