Upstream Disaster Management to Support People Experiencing Homelessness

Area of Science:

• Disaster preparedness and community resilience research.
• Public health and social determinants of health.
• Sociology of homelessness and vulnerable populations.

Background:

• Chronically homeless or housing-insecure individuals are at elevated risk during community disasters.
• Extreme events highlight the need for preparedness and resilience-building in high-risk groups.
• This study addresses disaster resilience and preparedness for homeless populations in Canada.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore critical issues and strategies for promoting disaster resilience and preparedness among homeless individuals in Canada.
• To identify existing programs and supports for homeless populations facing disaster risks.
• To develop a model for multi-level collaboration to enhance disaster resilience.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of 21 key informant interviews from Canada.
• Data was drawn from a larger sample of 43 interviews focusing on high-risk populations during disasters.
• Analysis focused on extracting emergent themes and developing a collaboration model.

Main Results:

• A need exists for enhanced upstream continuity planning, collaboration, and communication.
• Investment in social determinants of health and community supports is crucial for resilience.
• Community support organizations are vital assets in disaster preparedness efforts.

Conclusions:

• Acknowledging community support organizations as assets is key for disaster preparedness.
• Building adaptive capacity through upstream investment and collaboration is essential.
• Continuous efforts to foster day-to-day resilience are critical for homeless and housing-insecure individuals.