Encampments

Homeless encampments are highly visible and troubling reminders of the housing crisis in our country. Encampments occur because there is a pervasive lack of affordable, permanent housing in our communities.

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council fundamentally disagrees with policies that create homelessness and advocates for public policies that both reduce the health and safety risks for those living in encampments and prevent and end homelessness through long-term solutions.

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Lessons from the Field: Rural Health Care Service Models and Case Studies , , , , , , , , , , , August 20, 2026 best-practices consumer-engagement cultural-competency encampments healthcare-and-homelessness-partnerships homeless-services medical-respite mobile-health rural-populations special-populations street-medicine street-outreach clinical-practice ethical-and-cultural-issues policy-and-advocacy case-studies
Key Issues in Rural Health Care and Homelessness , , , , , , August 20, 2026 conditions-and-issues encampments homeless-services research-and-data rural-populations social-determinants-of-health special-populations clinical-practice best-practices fact-sheet
LL – Next Steps in Addressing Encampment Sweeps , , , May 16, 2024 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services 2024-national-hch-conference
LL – Evaluations in Health Care for the Homeless Programs , , , May 16, 2024 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services 2024-national-hch-conference
Study Shows Involuntary Displacement May Cause Significant Spikes in Mortality, Overdoses and Hospitalizations , , , May 8, 2024 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
New 2023 Study: Encampment Sweeps, Drug Use, and Death , , , April 10, 2023 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Issue Brief: Impact of Encampment Sweeps on People Experiencing Homelessness , , , , , , December 1, 2022 best-practices encampments encampments-policy homeless-services policy-and-advocacy policy-issues research-and-data clinical-practice issue-brief
Issue Brief: Impact of Encampment Sweeps on People Experiencing Homelessness , , , , , , , December 1, 2022 best-practices clinical-practice encampments encampments-policy homeless-services policy-and-advocacy policy-issues issue-brief nhchc-resources
Policing- and punishment-based approaches: A really expensive way to make homelessness worse , , , September 1, 2021 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Martin V Boise: What Does it Mean for Communities? , , , September 1, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Clinicians’ Coffee Chat: Encampments , , , , , July 25, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services street-medicine street-outreach webinar
Caution is Needed When Considering “Sanctioned Encampments” or “Safe Zones” , , , May 25, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
It Takes a Village: Practical Guide for Authorized Encampments , , , May 4, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Read our statement on the Roles of the HCH Community , , , April 1, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services nhchc-resources
Sanctioned Homeless Encampments Initial Planning and Management Checklists , , , March 9, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Forced encampment closures: They don’t work and they do harm , , , January 1, 2018 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Tent City USA: The Growth of America’s Homeless Encampments and How Communities are Responding , , , December 1, 2017 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Case Studies: Ending Homelessness for People Living in Encampments , , , August 1, 2017 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
Ending Homelessness For People Living in in Encampments: Advancing the Dialogue , , , August 13, 2015 best-practices clinical-practice encampments homeless-services additional-resources
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