Hidden Health Barriers
Stable housing provides the foundations to maintain basic medical care. Even standard treatments become a challenge to manage without it. Preventative care, such as street medicine or providing stable emergency housing relieves expenses on preventable emergency room visits and hospital stays.
Here are some of the everyday health barriers individuals experience without a stable place to call home, as stated by frontline health professionals.
Bring these quick facts into future community discussions, legislative meetings, or panels! Let’s reframe how people think about housing & health.
Barriers
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Electrical outlets are required by much of standard medical equipment
Unhoused individuals face barriers in powering medical devices without wall outlets
E.g. A nebulizer for a child with asthma is not possible while living in a car or tent
*(3)
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Common medical treatments often require refrigeration to be persevered
Doctors must compromise certain prescriptions for individuals who do not have a cold place to store medicine
E.g. Liquid antibiotics prescribed for children often require refrigeration
E.g. With manageable, chronic conditions like insulin-dependent diabetes, refrigeration for insulin is necessary to prevent medical emergencies
*(1, 2, 3, 7)
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Ride services and non-emergency medical transportation require a residential street address to pick up patients
Patients cannot be picked up from public locations such as a café or a park, excluding the individuals who need help getting to the hospital the most
Without consistent transportation and a permanent address, appointments may be missed, causing individuals to use the emergency department as if it served as primary care
*(4, 6)
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Individuals without stable housing do not have a place to secure their belongings, meaning all personal items, documents, and medication must be carried along
During encampment sweeps and robberies, one’s belongings are lost or destroyed, including essential items like IDs, insurance cards, and prescription medication, which are necessary for survival and future care
Carrying large bags or backpacks creates immediate obstacles, as job interviews, public restrooms, and even clinics may deny them, which interferes with day-to-day function
*(1, 2, 5)
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Physical healing requires rest, elevation, clean conditions, and more
Sometimes, emergency shelters close during the day, forcing individuals in active recovery to be on the move outdoors
E.g. Treatable conditions like foot ulcers, infections, or surgical wounds can deteriorate when patients do not have a space to rest or keep bandages clean/dry
*(2, 4, 7)
Interview Citations:
(1) – Ally, (2) – Colin, (3) – Esther, (4) – Isabella, (5) – Josie, (6) – Kishanee, (7) – Nancy
Interviews with WPSR’s healthcare professionals conducted by Alice Ma
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, August 2026
Please join WPSR today as we fight on all fronts for the rights, safety, and health of our unhoused neighbors and friends.