A Narrative Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Health of the Unhoused Population in Washtenaw County, MI

Sanjana Kannikeswaran – University of Michigan Medical School; Simone Charles – University of Michigan School of Public Health

Abstract: Unhoused individuals are disproportionately affected by the health and safety implications of climate change due to their increased exposure to outdoor elements and their pre-existing high rates of chronic disease (1). While there are existing accounts from climate scientists and clinicians detailing the effects of extreme weather events on human health, there are no published first-hand narratives of the impacts of these weather events on health outcomes and chronic health conditions in the unhoused population. More broadly, there is a lack of attention in the literature to the unique challenges that climate change poses for the unhoused population in Michigan.

We address this gap through qualitative, thematic analysis of a narrative interview series with key stakeholders in Washtenaw County, Michigan, including members of the unhoused population and administrators of housing shelters, warming/cooling centers, and the public health department. In this presentation, we use storytelling to highlight the needs of the unhoused community in the face of increasing extreme weather events. Topics explored include firsthand experiences with extreme weather, resulting impacts on health and safety, trends in climate-resiliency service utilization, and barriers to expansion of these services. Findings can be used to drive education, policy, and health interventions to protect the unhoused population on local and larger scales.

References
1. Harris R. Eisenhardt, Thomas Peterson, Michael Schwebel. Establishing a methodology to measure vulnerability of unhoused populations to climate change in the United States. Climate Risk Management. Volume 45, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2024.100629.

Keywords: Unhoused, Severe weather, Climate change