The Heat Effects Among the Unhoused Population in California (HEAT-UP) project aims to better understand the impact of extreme heat among people experiencing homelessness.
Prior to 2019, unhoused patients were largely invisible in California's health data. Following the passage of Senate Bill 1152, California hospitals began documenting housing status in discharge records, making this analysis possible.
Tracking California analyzed emergency department (ED) visits for heat-related illness and cardiorespiratory outcomes in 2019 and 2020 to measure how extreme heat days affect the health of unhoused and housed individuals across the state. The results showed that extreme heat poses a significantly greater health risk for unhoused Californians compared to the general population, and that Black individuals and seniors among the unhoused are the most affected.
These findings are detailed in Invisible Patients, Part 3: Extreme Heat Days Hit Unhoused Californians Hardest Data Brief. Tracking California is working to expand this analysis to additional years of data, which will strengthen the evidence base for targeted interventions and inform heat action plans and cooling center placement in the communities where need is greatest.
KEY PROJECT INFORMATION
Project Time Period:
2023– 2026
Project Funder:
The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Project Contact:
For more information, please contact info@trackingcalifornia.org
