The Role of Community Nursing in Assessing Healthcare Disparities for Homeless Populations

An issue not limited to major cities, homelessness continues to present a multitude of concerns as it pertains to public health in the state of Georgia. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists in exposing the inequities and flaws of our systems, there is an increasing devotion to researching the risk factors, reasons, and effects of homelessness from a community and public health perspective. Conducting my community nursing clinical at SafeHouse Outreach, a facility that provides resources to those experiencing homelessness, I first-handedly witnessed the stress that the pandemic has placed upon this particular population in managing their health and wellness.  The overarching theme of this article analysis is that PEH are not only at greater risk for health inequities and disparities, but these disparities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each one of the articles highlighted an issue magnified by the pandemic whether it was testing, prevention of disease, housing, or basic necessities. All of the initiatives detailed in the analysis focused on interventions on a more localized level, partnering with proximal facilities that directly interacted with PEH. Even though these projects were completed on a more intimate scale, the data and results offer evidence that the sustainability and scalability of the projects is possible. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve the status of the homeless population, public health officials can contribute to the development of policy that recognizes both the acute and long term needs. Assessment is the most crucial tool in identifying the characteristics of a community, offering data that can shape interventions. The assessments that have been conducted during the pandemic have brought attention to the inequities experienced by PEH, inspiring change on local, state, and federal level.