The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted widespread concern about the potential impact of the virus on people experiencing homelessness. Concerns centred on people who were literally roofless and those in communal forms of accommodation, such as shelters and hostels, where facilities and air space were shared. It was feared these environments could hamper a person’s ability to adhere to public health instructions regarding hand hygiene, maintaining physical distancing, and isolation when symptomatic or following a positive test.
The research team found that between 1 March 2020 and 1 March 2021, Covid-19 infection rates amongst people experiencing homelessness were 5%, compared to 6.9% among the general population of similar demographics.
These new findings suggest that changes to homelessness policy during the pandemic may have had a positive impact on people who were experiencing homelessness at the time in reducing infection. Local authorities, social landlords, and third sector organisations implemented the policy changes. The Welsh Government made a £50 million investment and mandated a move away from communal accommodation solutions for people experiencing homelessness, instead favouring self-contained accommodation. By carrying out this research In Wales, with Welsh anonymised data we had the opportunity to explore coronavirus infection in a homelessness policy response setting that differed considerably to responses in many other parts of the world.