People experiencing homelessness can be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of disasters due to compounding factors such as chronic illness, substance use disorders, location instability, and extreme poverty. Homeless populations therefore often encounter obstacles in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, which also present challenges for service providers, the public health community, emergency responders, and policy makers.

This workshop will continue an ongoing call to action, led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), to improve integration of considerations for people experiencing homelessness into disaster preparedness planning and response by identifying gaps and solution strategies. Subject matter experts and other participants will focus on three areas of needs:

• (1) Communications;
• (2) Training and Technical Assistance for Community-Based Organizations; and
• (3) Guidance for Health Care Providers.

This forum will bring together key researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to help establish priority next steps for research, programs, and policy within these three domains to more effectively serve homeless populations during and after disasters and public health emergencies. We hope you will be able to join us for this discussion!

Please click here to view a draft agenda. Please check back regularly as the agenda will continually be updated.

Please register here to participate.

Workshop Registration Fee: $150

Discounted Workshop Fee for Homeless Direct Service Provider Organizations (Non-profits): $50