In the past few months, the U.S has been able to successfully vaccinate many, however, some homeless people are still facing difficulties. One of the most prevalent being not having access to the booking sites. A clinic in Oakland, California has been able to overcome this obstacle by working with local officials and administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to “unsheltered people”. 

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has shown to be the most common one given to the most vulnerable communities. A group in Chicago called the Night Ministry that serves the homeless community explains why they have been specifically providing the J & J vaccine: “ ‘When we’re out on the CTA, we’re never going to see these people again,’ Mr. Koruba said.” While Moderna and Pfizer are vaccines that require two doses, J & J is only one dose, which makes it easier for those who struggle to book appointments, as it’s a one-time thing. 

LifeLong Medical Care, a clinic in the Bay Area, uses vans that include equipment and even refrigerators that keep the vaccine at the right temperature to be able to transport their services to an Oakland encampment. Dr. Jason Reinking, a street medicine doctor at the clinic, describes, “We flipped the medical paradigm on its head. We essentially bring care directly to people instead of waiting for people to come to care." 

The clinic has spent over 6 months getting to know and build relationships with the people at the encampment. This has helped tremendously with those who felt hesitant at first but now aren’t as much because they have been able to build trust in the staff and the vaccine. Clinic staff members are trained to only explain the medical and scientific information, not try to convince them to get the vaccine, giving them that choice to make for their health.

Underlying medical conditions and the circumstances homeless people face that prevent them from being able to wash their hands and social distance make it easier for them to contract Covid. It is imperative that counties are making it a priority to vaccinate their homeless population. Through being able to move vaccine registration and appointments off of a digital platform, they are able to protect the most vulnerable groups even despite the digital divide.

Homelessness has long afflicted the American population, specifically in San Francisco, California - hotspot to some of the most widespread poverty in America. However, some groups have been immensely affected by unemployment and severe poverty during this pandemic. The LGBTQ community has long faced discrimination and increased hardships but the tangible effects of this bias has only been proven in recent studies. Estimates from the National HRC show that “LGBTQ youth comprise up to 40 percent of the total unaccompanied homeless youth population.” Unfortunately, they are not the only minority group facing increased homelessness rates - “other young adult populations experiencing disproportionate rates of homelessness include Black and African American youth, Hispanic non-white youth, unmarried parenting youth, youth with less than a high school diploma or GED certificate and youth reporting annual household income of less than $24,000.” 
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When minority groups are the foremost victims of poverty and homelessness, it creates a cycle of poverty and hardship for people of those ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. Homelessness can have a lifelong effect on these groups’ mental and physical health. Those experiencing severe poverty are exposed to higher rates of sexual abuse, drug dependency, and social discrimination. When faced with situations as dire as homelessness, it is hard for this population to rise out of their circumstances especially with societal stigmas about hiring low-income, minority youth. 

Fortunately, several projects and initiatives have been striving to remedy the scourge of homelessness facing LGBTQ minorities. On par with these motives, the Trevor Project works to de-stigmatize the LGBTQ community by contacting policymakers and funding programs that encourage inclusiveness. They ensure that foster care systems have a strong, non-discriminatory code of ethics that accommodates youth despite sexual orientation or racial identity. In addition to this, the Covenant House, one of the largest providers of care for youth experiencing homelessness in America, has a mission statement ensuring that all their houses are safe and welcoming for minority youth experiencing homelessness. Kevin Ryan, CEO of Covenant House International, stated “This is not complicated: we are called to love unconditionally and with absolute respect all young people facing homelessness.” Although it is a devastating truth, LGBTQ and minority youth disproportionately experience homelessness, and we should all work to support and de-stigmatize these groups to stop the cyclical abuse they face. 

Photo taken by Melia Robinson/Business Insider.