In September 2021, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2021-21, to Fight Homelessness in Illinois. The order established the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, a new interagency body for collaboration to prevent and end homelessness, a Community Advisory Council on Homelessness to provide community guidance to the work, the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) to support the interagency work, and a state homelessness chief to lead it. In July 2023, this Home Illinois structure was codified into law and funded with an initial FY24 budget of more than $200 million. The interagency work of Home Illinois is organized through the Home Illinois plan. To learn more about Home Illinois, visit endhomelessness.illinois.gov.

One of the four pillars of the plan is working to close the mortality gap between people experiencing homelessness and Illinois’ general population. Recognizing a need to understand better the state of health of people experiencing homelessness to inform strategies to improve the population’s health, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health partnered to produce a report, released in July 2024, that utilized data provided by IDPH to describe the mortality and morbidity of persons experiencing homelessness.

You can find out more and view the full study here.

Additionally, the study creators put together a report using Point in Time and other data through 2022 to create a report focused on Springfield/Sangamon County. You can view that report here and review some analysis of the report below. 

When we talk about homelessness, it's easy to focus on the lack of a roof over someone's head. But for people experiencing homelessness, it's also a profound health crisis that often goes unseen. This report sheds light on the serious health issues and early deaths faced by our neighbors without stable housing, right here in Springfield/Sangamon County.

Who Are We Talking About?

In our community, there were 264 people experiencing homelessness in 2022. Most of them (238) were in shelters, but 26 were living unsheltered.    

A Shorter Life, A Harder Life

One of the most heartbreaking findings is that people experiencing homelessness die much younger than the general population. In our area, the average age of death for someone experiencing homelessness is just 54 years old – nearly two decades younger than the average.  

What causes this?

• Drug Overdoses: A major cause of death in our area is drug overdose, especially involving powerful substances like fentanyl. This is a bigger problem here than across the state.  
• Cold Weather: Even though many people are in shelters, two-thirds of deaths in IL-513 happen during the cold months (November to March). This shows that simply having a roof isn't always enough to protect against extreme temperatures, and more needs to be done to keep people safe and warm.  
• Injuries and Illnesses: Injuries and serious illnesses like heart and respiratory diseases also contribute significantly to early deaths.  

The "Revolving Door" of Healthcare

People experiencing homelessness in our community often end up in the emergency room – a lot. About 84% of their hospital visits are to the emergency department. This suggests they aren't getting regular doctor visits or preventative care, so their health problems become emergencies.  

After an emergency, most (89%) are discharged to "home or self-care". For someone experiencing homelessness, this often means going back to a shelter or the streets. This makes it incredibly hard to continue treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or mental health issues, leading to a cycle of repeated emergency visits.  

Gaps in Care 
Even when people experiencing homelessness are in the hospital, there are gaps. Despite high rates of substance use and mental health issues, our local hospitals provide fewer drug treatment services and less naloxone (a life-saving overdose reversal medication) compared to other parts of the state. They also discharge fewer patients to psychiatric facilities. This means critical opportunities to help people with addiction and mental health challenges are being missed.  

What This Means for Our Community

This report shows that homelessness isn't just a housing issue; it's a public health crisis that impacts our entire community. People experiencing homelessness are dying too young from preventable causes, and our healthcare system is struggling to provide the continuous, comprehensive care they desperately need.

Understanding these challenges is the first step. By recognizing the specific health needs, we can work together to support solutions that offer better access to healthcare, mental health services, addiction treatment, and safe, stable housing for all our neighbors.