MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR

HOMELESS NEIGHBORS
DURING AN EPIDEMIC
Bobby Watts
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Press Foundation
March 30, 2020
THE NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS
COUNCIL

Grounded in human rights and social

justice, the NHCHC mission is to build an
equitable, high-quality health system
through training, research and advocacy
in the movement to end homelessness.
 THE NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR
THE HOMELESS COUNCIL
• 220+ Organizational Members and 4,000+ Individual
Members
• Most are from Health Care for the Homeless (HCH)
programs that serve one million homeless people each
year from every state
• Headquartered in Nashville, with some staff near D.C.
• Major Programs:
– Training & Technical Assistance
– Research
– Policy Analysis & Advocacy
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
ARE MORE AT-RISK
THAN THEY ARE
A RISK
WHAT WE DO TO ADDRESS AN EPIDEMIC
IS WHAT WE SHOULD DO TO PREVENT
FUTURE EPIDEMICS
 THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC HAS BROUGHT
INTO SHARP RELIEF THE WEAKNESSESS
AND INEQUITIES OF OUR HEALTH AND
HOUSING SYSTEMS
THANK YOU