Fact sheet: Homelessness, health and medical-legal partnerships

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

By National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership & National Health Care for the Homeless Council

Many of the underlying causes of homelessness are social factors such as unstable housing, unemployment and underemployment, and general economic instability. These factors cannot only trap someone in a perpetual cycle of homelessness, but can lead to a cascade of health problems. To truly meet the complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, health care teams benefit from legal expertise to help navigate problems that go well beyond the clinic’s doors.

The third fact sheet in our new population series describes common social and legal needs that affect the health of homeless individuals, and ways integrated legal services can help meet those needs. It includes data from a study in Connecticut and New York City highlighting the housing and mental health benefits of MLP services for homeless veterans.