Zeitschrift für Gemeinde- und öffentliche Gesundheitspflege

Abstrakt

Homelessness as a Barrier to Human Rights and Healthcare Provision

Hannah Iveson, Naomi Butler and Stephen Weatherhead

The most vulnerable members of our society are often the ones who are most vulnerable to human rights abuses. This paper considers the socio-political context of homelessness within the United Kingdom, and argues that the homeless population is being denied the right to healthcare provision, due to structural barriers, policies and services which are designed to exclude. Homelessness in the UK has more than doubled in the last six years, and whilst it is recognized to be a public health concern, systems are failing homeless people, and leading to increased discrimination, stigma, and exclusion.