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.
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 language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Routledge Handbook of Homelessness |
Editors | Joanne Bretherton, Nicholas Pleace |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | Routledge |
Chapter | 7 |
Pages | 71-81 |
Number of pages | 11 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781351113113 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780815362104 |
Publication status | Published - 22 May 2023 |
Publication series
Name | Routledge Handbooks |
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Keywords
- Homelessness
- COVID-19