
Cross-silo Partnerships Boldly Tackling Inequities in the Midst of the Pandemic
New COVID-19 hospitalization data shine a stark light on the connection between homelessness and poor health. The Minnesota Department of Health found that people residing in homeless shelters who were diagnosed with COVID-19 were 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and 3 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) than the overall population of Minnesota residents with a COVID+ diagnosis. The hospitalization and ICU rates for people living unsheltered were even worse: almost 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 7 times more likely to receive treatment in an ICU.