A major new study shows that Minnesotans experiencing homelessness die at three times the rate of other Minnesotans, and substance abuse accounts for about a third of their deaths. The study, released last month by the state Department of Health, found that deaths from substance use are 10 times higher among homeless Minnesotans than the overall state population. Alarmingly, researchers found that 20-year-olds experiencing homelessness in Minnesota have the same likelihood of dying as 50-year-olds in the general population.

"What this study shows ... is that there are tremendous and incredibly detrimental health effects to be a person experiencing homelessness in our state," said Dr. Kate Diaz Vickery, a primary care physician and co-director of a research lab on health, homelessness and criminal justice at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Insitute, which prepared the report.

The report calls for a coordinated effort to elevate housing as a "life-saving strategy," though it stops short of analyzing current methods for combating homelessness. However, some Twin Cities-based homeless providers and advocates say the findings raise questions about the recurring sweeps of homeless camps, which they say worsens health problems by isolating people and making it harder for agencies to reach them.

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged cities to stop clearing encampments, unless housing units are available, citing concerns that forced evictions would cause infections to spread.

Margaret King, senior director of housing at Catholic Charities, which operates large homeless shelters and drop-in centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, called the report's findings deeply troubling. She noted that the sweeps of homeless camps have been "super disruptive to people's survival," and likely are correlated to the high death rates among the unsheltered population.