In my previous article about homelessness and COVID-19, I discussed how COVID-19 impacts the homeless population in the United States. In this article, I would like to further emphasize the struggles of particularly at-risk groups among the already vulnerable homeless population: people of color and the elderly.

People of Color

There is already considerable evidence showing that the pandemic disproportionately affects people of color due to existing inequalities. Unsurprisingly, this is applicable to the homeless population, which is disproportionately composed of racial minorities. For Pacific Islanders, 160 out of every 10,000 are homeless, almost ten times the national average (17 out of 10,000). Only White and Asian Americans experience homelessness at rates lower than the national average.

In the United States, people of color are more likely to be employed in service industries that are seeing high rates of layoffs. People who are laid off are more likely to become homeless. In May, as many as 1 in 5 workers of color may have been unemployed. As the situation is still developing, it is unclear how many of these people have become or will become homeless and face the risks of exposure to COVID-19.

Furthermore, key risk factors for contracting COVID-19 include chronic health conditions. Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are 1.5 to 2.0 times more likely to have chronic health problems. People who have some of these conditions (such as asthma or heart problems) are more likely to become seriously ill if they contract COVID-19. These people, even when young, are more likely to die, and of those who survive, are more likely to suffer long-term complications. Therefore, it is vital that people of color experiencing homelessness must not be swept aside during this time.

The Elderly

The harmful impact of COVID-19 on elderly people is well-known in the public consciousness. Individuals over the age of 65 are more likely to require hospitalization should they contract the disease. Even if they are not hospitalized for the virus itself, they are more likely to develop long-term complications, in no small part because elderly people are more likely to have chronic health conditions. 8 out of 10 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States have been people over the age of 65.

Elderly people among the homeless population are even more vulnerable than their housed counterparts. Not only do they face all of the struggles that other homeless individuals do, homeless elderly people tend to have conditions corresponding to housed people 20 years older. In practical terms, this means that understanding who is most vulnerable among the homeless elderly, people as young as 45 have to be considered. Over 200,000 homeless people on a single day in 2019 were over the age of 50, so this constitutes as much as ⅓ of the total homeless population. It is unclear how this number will change going forward. Unlike during the Great Recession, unemployment among people over the age of 55 has increased like those of younger groups (though not as much), so more elderly people may become homeless over the coming months. And of course, given the inequalities touched on above, many of these elderly will likely be people of color. Additional care will be required to ensure the continued health of these people.

Addressing the needs of the homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic is a daunting task. Ensuring quality care for these even more vulnerable groups among the homeless is challenging, but not impossible. It is crucial that as organizations and planners move forward, that these people's voices and concerns are elevated and addressed.

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