Introduction: Homeless encampments present public health threats to individuals and communities alike. Given the significant risks of traumatic injury, disease morbidity, and early mortality, public health mitigation efforts are critical. “Housing First” approaches have recently gained traction for their humane perspective and efficacy, and research supports a positive impact of housing on individual health outcomes. The present study spotlights a public health approach to a direct-to-housing encampment decommissioning initiative started in New Orleans in 2023. We focus on its two pilot sites, which supported encampment residents directly into housing. We use 911 data as our principal indicator, as it simultaneously reflects community wellbeing and burdens on local emergency systems. Methods: To quantify the impacts of encampment decommissioning on emergency service utilization, we analyzed 911 data trends across three incident categories: “Medical,” “Trauma,” and “Severe (with likely or confirmed fatality).” Call volume and types at each pilot site were analyzed for 6 months during active encampment presence, and 6 months after residents were housed and sites closed. Using a one-sided t-test method at alpha = 0.05, we evaluated the statistical significance of any decreases in average monthly call volume following encampment closure across all 3 categories at both sites. Results: Before encampment decommissioning, both sites experienced relatively high call volumes for a relatively small geographic area. At each, “Medical” and “Severe” call rates were significantly lower across the 6 months following encampment closure (p < 0.05). At one site, a drop in “Severe” and “Medical” calls per month approached or exceeded 90%. Conclusion: Our study offers a broader perspective, framing encampments as public health emergencies and illustrating the community-level impacts of prioritizing direct housing placement and definitive closure. The resulting drop in calls for service not only reflects the health hazards of encampment living but also implies reduced burdens on first responders, ED personnel, and neighborhoods post-closure.
Vaughn et al. (Sun,) studied this question.