0
0
A new study led by a researcher from Georgia State University (GSU) reveals a troubling connection between the opioid epidemic and rural homelessness, showing that both issues are intensifying each other with devastating consequences.
Dr. April Ballard, an Assistant Professor at the GSU School of Public Health, and her team analyzed data from the Rural Opioid Initiative, which surveyed over 3,000 individuals who use drugs across eight rural regions in 10 states. The results, published in the January edition of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, highlight the urgent crisis of homelessness in rural areas, suggesting that existing federal and state measures may be underestimating the severity of the issue.
The study found that 54% of participants reported experiencing homelessness in the past six months, a stark figure that challenges the accuracy of Point in Time Counts, which are used to allocate funding for homeless services. These counts, mandated by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, tend to only capture the number of homeless individuals on a single night each January, missing many who face homelessness in rural areas.
“Rural homelessness is a pressing issue in the U.S., often overlooked due to unique challenges like a lack of awareness and resources,” said Dr. Ballard, who co-leads the GSU Center on Health and Homelessness. “The opioid epidemic exacerbates this problem, creating a vicious cycle of instability.”
The study underscores how opioid addiction can precipitate housing instability, as individuals suffering from opioid use disorder often face unemployment, financial ruin, and the loss of family and social networks. Without stable housing, these individuals are more likely to use drugs as a coping mechanism, further deteriorating their mental and physical health. This cycle can lead to poor health outcomes, including infections and overdoses, and contribute to shorter life expectancies.
Dr. Ballard’s team discovered that individuals with unstable housing were 1.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for serious bacterial infections and 1.5 times more likely to overdose compared to those with stable housing. The study emphasizes the dangers posed by the harsh living conditions faced by people without stable homes, where access to clean water for hygiene and drug preparation is limited, increasing the likelihood of infections and accidental overdoses.
The findings also shed light on the discrepancy between the official homeless counts and the actual number of homeless individuals in rural areas. In Kentucky, for instance, the study found up to five times as many homeless individuals as the Point in Time Counts, even though their sample represented less than 1% of the adult population. In three counties that reported no homelessness in the Point in Time Counts, the research team identified over 100 people who had experienced homelessness in the past six months.
Dr. Ballard acknowledged the challenges of conducting accurate homeless counts in rural areas due to their dispersed nature, but stressed that undercounting leads to a lack of resources being allocated to vulnerable populations. “The allocation of resources is not proportional to the extent of the problem,” she said, urging a more accurate approach to capturing homelessness in rural communities.
As the opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc across the country, Ballard’s research highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of homelessness in rural areas, as well as the urgent need for increased funding and resources to address the intertwined crises of opioid addiction and housing instability.
For more information, refer to the study: April M. Ballard et al, “Rural Houselessness Among People Who Use Drugs in the United States: Results from the National Rural Opioid Initiative,” Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.112498.
