Program Information
1015 Walnut Street
Curtis Building, Suite 401
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Fax
Please note that the mailing address provided above is solely intended for administrative purposes. The office is not staffed with JeffHOPE personnel and no patient records are kept onsite.
Facts on Homelessness
How many homeless people are there in the United States?
- An estimated one to two million on any given night.
- In the past five years, 5.7 million experienced a significant period of homelessness.
- 13.5 million people have experienced homelessness at least once in their life.
— National Health Care for the Homeless Council
How is healthcare for the homeless different than caring for people with homes?
Homeless people are particular victims of certain diseases. Approximately one-third have mental illnesses. Up to one-half have a current or past drug or alcohol addiction. Communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infections, ravage the homeless population. Trauma resulting from violence and conditions caused by exposure are also common among homeless people. Homeless people also have all the same health problems as people with homes, but at rates three to six times greater than housed people. Without a home, there is no place to recuperate from an illness or to treat an injury, and health problems tend to get far worse before they get better.