The Homeless and Hygiene

The most undervalued problem the homeless population faces: Hygiene

By Brennan Kane

Within the lives of those who have access to homes, there is something simple that we take for granted: access to good hygiene. This is considered a social normality in our everyday lives. However, it is an often overlooked aspect of how houseless individuals' lives are impacted by their situation. In this post, we will be going over the statistics and impacts of poor hygiene and how it affects the houseless population in Portland.

First off, the biggest issue poor hygiene poses is health risks. Lack of access to showers and laundry facilities can cause staph infections, scabies, UTI’s, and much more. 40% of the houseless population in Portland reported that they have developed one of these issues due to lack of access to the proper facilities. In addition to posing health risks, many have reported that they have been turned away when seeking hot food or shelter due to their poor hygiene.

Another aspect of hygiene comes in the form of lack of waste services. Without access to areas to dispose of their waste, houseless individuals have to dispose of it in public areas. So, instead of offering public dumpsters or areas to dispose of trash, the city do “sweeps” of homeless encampments. This includes not only taking trash out of these encampments, but also personal belongings of the individuals.

Finally, another problem within the field of hygiene is access to restrooms. Lack of public restrooms can lead to additional health risks. In addition, as cities are dis-investing in public restrooms due to the social stigma surrounding them, houseless individuals have to relieve themselves in public. This often leads to arrests for indecent exposure, all due to the city not funding public restrooms.  

Now, how does this affect you? I’m sure if you’ve spent any time in downtown Portland, you’ve seen houseless people. You’ve seen piles of trash on the side of the road. You’ve maybe even seen human excrement on the sidewalks. When you see these things, I implore you to not blame the houseless. As I’ve lined out, these are not things that they can control. These are issues the city controls, and chooses to divest in. So the next time you go walking down the street in Portland and see a messy area, don’t blame the inhabitants. Blame the people who set this system up to have this be the solution. Just know this: it is a band-aid solution. There are better ones out there. It starts with you saying something and trying to make a difference.

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