Housing and Homeslessness

Ashley Peterson smokes a cigarette just outside of her Airway Motel room in Atlanta.

Part 5: Ashley finds the freedom to fall — and to discover her destiny

I met Ashley for the first time in March 2015 at a Noodles & Company in Indianapolis. Her adoptive father Craig Peterson had arranged the meeting. He initially reached out to me about an article I'd written, then shared bits of Ashley's story.

Race and Equity, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Housing and Homeslessness
homeless individual sleeping outside

Is being homeless the next public health crisis?

A new reporting project will "examine the health risks to the public that can occur when society and local governments neglect or underfund initiatives to alleviate conditions where homeless populations live."

Race and Equity, Poverty and Class, Environmental Health, Domestic Violence, Housing and Homeslessness, Mental Health, Chronic Disease, Food and Nutrition
For those like Becky Walthan, whose health problems are made worse by the fact that she is homeless, navigating the healthcare s

Navigating the health care maze can be daunting

It takes a lot of time to explain how the health care system works to patients and their caregivers with limited English proficiency. There are numerous forms that need to be read and understood. People often sign those forms whether or not they understand them.

Environmental Health, Immigrant and Migrant Health, Poverty and Class, Healthcare Regulation and Reform, Health Insurance and Costs, Housing and Homeslessness
“I buy shoes because I just want to feel youthful. I didn’t really have a childhood, I was too busy helping to raise a household

Where fighting poverty is a priority

In the “Compassionate City,” governmental unity has helped to reduce child poverty rates.

Race and Equity, Environmental Health, Poverty and Class, Health Insurance and Costs, Housing and Homeslessness, Food and Nutrition, Community Safety