Unhoused people face life-threatening, acute health conditions in their struggle to survive on our streets. Homeless individuals die on average 25 years earlier than their housed peers.
Alameda County, California, is one of the epicenters of homelessness in the nation. Every day in Alameda County:
- Over 8,000 people sleep in a place not fit for human habitation
- 44% of these unhoused individuals are African American while representing just 11% of the general population, reflecting profound racial disparities
- 42% of people experiencing homelessness are seniors. Homelessness among seniors is rapidly growing; older adults are at risk for homelessness after just one major crisis, such as a job loss or illness. Learn More
- For every 3 people who become homeless in Alameda County, only 1 returns to housing. Learn More
Our work, what we endeavor to do, is walk with people through a journey of building relationships and trust towards whatever version of health best matches the patient and alleviates their suffering. People are dying on the streets because they don’t have access to medical respite.
Dr. Jay Reinking
MD Physician, LifeLong Trust Health Center
Every life lost on the street is a preventable tragedy. The Wellness Campus will provide life-saving interventions for hundreds of medically vulnerable and unhoused neighbors each year.
Bonnie Wolf
Project Director, Alameda Wellness Campus
Unhoused people face worsening health conditions, high hospitalization rates, and even death due to the lack of stable housing, quality health care, nutritious food, and physical and emotional safety
The Wellness Campus will address these interrelated social inequities and system failures:
- The affordable housing crisis and limited stable housing in Alameda County
- Siloed system of services and providers creating inefficiencies and uncoordinated care
- Deep medical mistrust experienced by unhoused people of color and those experiencing serious mental illness, leading to underutilization of health care
- No hospice resources for unhoused people in Alameda County
- Limited medical respite resources for high-acuity patients
- High rates of medical and mental health problems, both as the cause and consequence of homelessness