COVID-19

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global homeless- ness. At the time of writing, mass vaccination programmes are being rolled out across the most economically prosperous countries but global distribution of the vaccines is highly uneven. There are also concerns that variants of the virus may emerge that prove resistant to the vaccines being used. Much of the world has been cycling in and out of periods of greater and lesser degrees of lockdown and it re- mains uncertain when and to what extent the pandemic will be contained.

This chapter explores the extent to which the pandemic has changed attitudes and responses to homelessness, particularly with regard to people sleeping rough and people living in homeless shelters and other homelessness services that have ‘shared air’ (i.e. shared living and sleeping areas). Attempts made to contain the risks of COVID-19 for homeless people are also reviewed. This chapter concludes by considering the degree to which ongoing strategic changes in response to homelessness are likely to result from the pandemic.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge Handbook of Homelessness
EditorsJoanne Bretherton, Nicholas Pleace
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter7
Pages71-81
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9781351113113
ISBN (Print)9780815362104
Publication statusPublished - 22 May 2023

Publication series

NameRoutledge Handbooks

Keywords

  • Homelessness
  • COVID-19

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