What is the ‘health gap’, how is it related to homelessness, and how is Homeless Oxfordshire working to close it?
Recent data from a study by Homeless Link exposes the so-called ‘health gap’ experienced in and prior to homelessness: 81% of people experiencing homelessness have a physical health condition and over half of those conditions existed before becoming homeless.
On World Health Day (7th April), we’re exploring this year’s theme of ‘Together for Health’ by highlighting how Homeless Oxfordshire works in partnership with health and social care services to close this health gap; improving outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and helping to prevent it in the first place.
The connection between health and homelessness
Health inequalities are the avoidable, unfair differences in health outcomes between groups of people. A clear example of this is that people in the most deprived areas of England live around 10 years less than those in the least deprived areas on average. They also spend nearly two decades longer in poor health (Office for National Statistics (ONS)).
People who are living with long-term poor health have a higher risk of experiencing homelessness. Physical illness, disability, and mental health conditions can make it harder to sustain employment, maintain tenancies, or navigate complex public service systems.
Data from Homeless Link’s Unhealthy State of Homelessness Report 2025 confirms that poor health is not only a consequence but also a cause of homelessness:
- 58% of physical health diagnoses already existed when respondents became homeless
- 67% of reported mental health conditions were diagnosed prior to experiencing homelessness
Once homeless, people face a higher risk of illness and a dramatically reduced average age of death (42 for women, 47 for men – ONS). Obstacles to accessing services – such as a lack of a fixed address, stigma, fragmented systems, or previous negative experiences – mean that conditions often go untreated until they become crises.
Homelessness and health – the scale of the issue:
- Mental health condition: 77%
- Physical health condition: 81%
- Using drugs and alcohol to cope with mental health conditions: 49%
- People experiencing homelessness use A&E four times more often than the general population
Together for health in Oxfordshire
Addressing the complex relationship between health and homelessness requires a collaborative approach and shared accountability across sectors to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Inclusion Health groups (those facing the greatest inequalities in our communities).
The newly formed Oxfordshire Inclusion Health Partnership (OIHP) exists to do just that. Bringing together statutory, voluntary, and community organisations from across the county, the partnership seeks to:
- Build stronger relationships and embed collaborative, system-wide working
- Share information, learning, and opportunities to reduce duplication and fill service gaps
- Develop evidence-informed, person-centred approaches
- Tackle root causes of inequality through coordinated action across health, housing, care, and criminal justice
- Act as a forum for myth-busting, shared problem-solving, and joint innovation
A new role at Luther Street Medical Centre
We’re proud to be part of OIHP alongside our next-door neighbours and long-term partners, Luther Street Medical Centre – a nationally recognised GP service providing high-quality healthcare to people experiencing homelessness across Oxfordshire.
As part of our commitment to improving health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, we’re pleased to be co-funding a new nursing role within the Luther Street team. The new Outreach Nurse will take their skills out to hostels, day centres, temporary accommodation, and street settings – bringing healthcare directly to the communities that need it most.
>> Read more about the Outreach Nurse vacancy
As long as health inequalities persist, so will homelessness. That’s why we’re working with the OIHP, Luther Street Medical Centre, the NHS and partners across the health sector to improve access to care and tackle the root causes of homelessness.
