Data shows many of the deaths are preventable
(Salt Lake City, UT)—The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released a report that focuses on death in people experiencing homelessness in Utah in 2023. This report found that people experiencing homelessness in Utah are dying at a higher rate and at much younger ages than the general population. Many of these deaths are preventable.
In order to better understand the health impact of homelessness in Utah, the DHHS Office of Vital Records and Statistics (OVRS) added a question to death data at the end of 2022 for all deaths in Utah which asked if the person was experiencing homelessness at the time of death. Between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023, there were 216 deaths identified in people experiencing homelessness. When that was compared with the number of deaths in the state’s general population (21,816), data showed people experiencing homelessness in Utah had 10 times the rate of death compared with the general population. In addition, the average age of death was 56 years old among people experiencing homelessness, but 72 years of age for the general population. The most extreme differences in the rate of death was seen in younger people. People between the ages of 25 and 44 who were experiencing homelessness had 22 times the rate of death when compared to the same age people in the general population.
The DHHS report includes some recommendations that are aimed at reducing preventable deaths in people experiencing homelessness. Dr. Leisha Nolen, DHHS state epidemiologist says, ”These recommendations are all aimed at reducing preventable deaths in those experiencing homelessness and include things like the development of housing options and low barrier primary healthcare and substance use treatment service options.” Nolen adds, “We also recommend an advisory group be formed to evaluate and fund best practices in delivering healthcare to people experiencing homelessness in urban, suburban, and rural communities.”
The report will be compiled and released every year as officials work to better understand the circumstances that contribute to these deaths and identify strategies to prevent further fatalities.
To download the full Utah Homeless Mortality Report, visit https://dhhs.utah.gov/data-reports/.