The Climate Crisis and Homelessness

-


The Climate Crisis and Homelessness



Climate change is a threat to everyone’s health, and its impact is only increasing. Climate change is also the cause for many health issues in impoverished communities. This is clearly seen in lower income communities and homeless populations. They are exposed to indirect effects of climate change causing contact with disease and pollutants. People who do not have shelter are the most exposed to storms, increased temperature, and other extreme weather conditions. Homeless people do not always have access to things that are affected by climate change. Things like clean drinking water and dry clothes can be difficult for homeless people to access. Extreme weather can be deadly for anyone, but especially people without shelter in need of cool water and a cool space. Extreme temperatures also lower the air quality which increases the smog. This can lead to shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, and temporary decreases in lung function.


Climate change can also lead to homelessness. Floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, and wildfires can destroy homes, causing people to be forced to leave them and live on the streets. This strongly impacts communities of color and low-income families. These communities are more likely to live in the hotter areas of cities. They are more at risk from extreme weather conditions than wealthier communities. 


Shelters in Portland:

Transition Projects: https://www.tprojects.org

Bradley Angle House for Women and Children: https://bradleyangle.org

Rose Haven: https://rosehaven.org

Portland Rescue Mission: https://portlandrescuemission.org


Written by Gina Rafael


Sources:

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/homelessness-and-climate-crisis

https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/effects-climate-change-people-experiencing-homelessness


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Por...
Read more

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to ove...
Read more

Air pollution caused by wildfires may increase risk of dementia

-
Image
  There are already more than 57 million dementia sufferers in the world, and by 2050, that figure is predicted to rise to 153 million. It is estimated that risk factors like exposure to air pollution account for up to 40% of these instances. Even when annual exposure was lower than the current EPA annual threshold of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air (g/m3), the researchers discovered continuous evidence of a relationship between PM2.5 and dementia. The researchers discovered a 17% increase in risk for dementia for every 2 g/m3 increase in average yearly exposure to PM2.5, specifically among the studies using active case ascertainment. Despite the fact that the data was more sparse, they also discovered evidence supporting links between dementia and nitrogen oxide (5% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in yearly exposure) and nitrogen dioxide (2% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in annual exposure). According to a recent University of Michigan study, wildfi...
Read more